Terroristic Threats & Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony

DATE & TIME: 07-19-2018 @ 12:31

LOCATION: West Hickory Road west of Beatrice

OFFENSE: Terroristic Threats & Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony

CASE #: 2018-3660

A Beatrice resident states he was returning from a kennel in DeWitt and was driving eastbound on West Hickory Road and had just passed over the Big Blue River when he noticed a vehicle driving westbound on West Hickory in the wrong lane. The vehicle was far enough away that the Beatrice resident slowed down, however the other vehicle continued in the wrong lane at a high rate of speed and nearly collided with his vehicle head on. The resident swerved to avoid the collision and then continued eastbound on West Hickory.

After driving eastbound toward Beatrice for another mile, he noticed the same vehicle, a blue Chrysler Town and Country, coming up behind him at a high rate of speed. The victim states the driver of the other vehicle pulled alongside him, swerved toward him, then pointed a semi-automatic pistol toward him. The victim slammed on the brakes and made a U-turn to get away from the suspect, trying to call 911 and protect a juvenile passenger in his vehicle, but the suspect turned his vehicle around and began chasing the victim again. The victim was going to turn off onto a county road, but was being followed too closely or his avenue of escape would be blocked by the suspect’s vehicle. 

Several Gage County deputies and an investigator responded to the scene and searched for the suspect and vehicle, but were unable to locate the suspect. A deputy and the investigator met with the victim on West Hickory Road while other deputies continued to search.

The victim states the suspect drove off westbound on West Hickory at approximately 100 miles per hour. He states he last saw the vehicle near the Koch Plant at West Hickory and Southwest 89^th Road.  Although he did not know the suspect, the victim stated he would be able to identify him again and provided an accurate description.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies received complaints of the same vehicle driving 100 miles per hour through a construction zone near Plymouth and at high speeds through Fairbury. The suspect, a 47-year-old male from Omaha was captured in Republic County, Kansas by the Kansas Highway Patrol.  A warrant for his arrest will be submitted charging him with Terroristic Threats and Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony.

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

Investigator T. Hanson #90310

Deputy D. Brydl #90311

Deputy J. Laudenklos #90321