Photo: Lincoln Police Department
(Columbus, NE) -- A jury finds a Lincoln teen guilty in the 2020 shooting death of a police officer.
On Monday, the jury found Felipe Vazquez guilty on seven counts including first degree murder in connection to the death of Luis "Mario" Herrera. Vazquez was arrested after he shot Herrera on Aug. 26, 2020. Herrera was part of a task force that was attempting to serve and arrest warrant for the homicide of Edward Varejcka.
The seven counts include:
- First degree murder
- Two counts of use of a firearm to commit a felony
- Attempted assault on an officer in the first degree
- Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person
- Possessing or receiving a stolen firearm
- Escape using force/deadly weapon
Herrera died from his injuries 12 days after the shooting. Vasquez, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was charged with first-degree murder in Lancaster County Court, but his trial was moved to Platte County. The trial was moved to Columbus after the court found that the media coverage and publicity surrounding the case would make it impossible for Vasquez to receive a fair trial in southeast Nebraska.