Omaha officer ‘followed policy’ when he fatally shot a fleeing man eight times

Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer insisted his colleagues followed department policy when an officer shot Steven Phipps, a 22-year-old black man, eight times during a traffic stop.

Phipps, who legally owned a firearm, fled from police after being pulled over for expired license plates.

At the time, he had just finished work and was driving a silver Chevrolet Monte Carlo near N 31st Avenue and Taylor Street in Omaha on Sept. 28 with his younger brother in the passenger seat.

According to Schmaderer, Officer Noah Zendejas did not fire his weapon until Phipps’ gun was pointed at him. This happened after a chase in which Phipps ran and scaled a fence.

“We really don’t know what Mr. Phipps’ intent was,” Schmaderer said, adding that the officer had the right to defend himself.

Officer Zendejas, who has been with the department for three years, has no prior disciplinary action. He was on duty with Officer Alex Atkinson at the time.

Zendejas has been placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation continues.

Despite the police’s justification, the Phipps family remains devastated.

Schmaderer said that if Phipps had stayed in the car and told officers he had a gun, “he would have been ticketed for expired license plates.”

But his family said he had tried that in the past and was still arrested for possession of a concealed weapon.

After the shooting, false reports were made that Phipps had been shot in the back. Omaha police have since updated their news release to note that this did not happen and that the autopsy completed Monday revealed no injuries to the man’s back.

Phipps’ family disputes other parts of the police account after body camera footage was released.

His aunt, Angela Phipps, said that after watching the police footage, she heard Phipps repeatedly say, “Don’t shoot me” after he hit the ground with his hands and one leg in a defensive position.

However, police allege that most of the shots were fired while Phipps was in the air and that he only dropped his weapon after landing.

The case has attracted additional attention due to Phipps’ tragic past. His father was killed in California four years ago and his family was dealing with another loss.

“I’m so broken I don’t know what to say. It was just wrong. It was wrong,” said Gail Phipps, another aunt.

The incident remains under investigation and Douglas County Prosecutor Don Kleine will review the case to determine whether charges will be filed.

Nebraska law requires that any death caused by police be reviewed by a grand jury, which also reviews the case.

This is the second fatal shooting of a Black man by Omaha police in the past two months.

Last month, Officer Adam Vail was fired after he fatally shot Cameron Ford, an unarmed black man, during a no-knock warrant.

While Vail was not charged by Kleine, Omaha Police Chief Schmaderer fired him for violating department policy.

Schmaderer stressed the importance of following police orders, citing the recent increase in gun-related incidents in the community.

“If someone is running from a police officer, they are trained to chase them,” he said. “The moment I, as chief, say, ‘We will no longer prosecute lawbreakers,’ crime begins to rise.”

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press