Lincoln man shot, injured by officers after armed confrontation
A Lincoln man is in critical condition after being shot by law enforcement Wednesday morning. The Nebraska State Patrol says the man was armed and refused to comply with officers.
By News Channel Nebraska
LINCOLN - A Lincoln man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Wednesday morning after being shot by law enforcement officers during an encounter near a hotel on Cornhusker Highway, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.
Authorities said members of the Metro Area Fugitive Task Force were attempting to arrest John Massa, 41, of Lincoln, who was wanted on felony warrants for narcotics and firearm possession. Investigators had tracked Massa to a hotel near 56th Street and Cornhusker Highway and believed he was armed and dangerous.
Shortly before 8:45 a.m., Massa exited the hotel and got into the backseat of a vehicle that was later determined to be a rideshare. When the car began turning westbound on Cornhusker Highway, a Nebraska State Trooper and a U.S. Deputy Marshal initiated a traffic stop.
The rideshare driver, who was not connected to Massa, escaped the vehicle after seeing him holding a gun, the patrol said. Officers gave verbal commands, but Massa reportedly refused to comply. Preliminary findings indicate the trooper saw the weapon, prompting both the trooper and deputy marshal to open fire, striking Massa.
A handgun was recovered inside the vehicle. Massa was taken to Bryan Health West Campus, where he remains in critical condition.
No officers, the rideshare driver or a police service dog inside the trooper’s vehicle were injured.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and Lincoln Police Department are leading the investigation with assistance from the Lancaster County Attorney’s Office.