Newshound: 8/5/2009

Headlines:

- UNMC doctors head to Afghanistan
- OSHA after South-O plant
- 18th and LAIRD shooting

Details after the jump.

The big-boned in blue
Two Bellevue Police officers responded to a May 5 break-in at Scooter's Coffee Shop near 25th and Capehart Road ― one a bit slower than the other. Surveillance video obtained by KETV shows one officer easily duck under broken glass to enter the store. Then it shows a larger Officer Matt Jarvis struggle for more than a minute to perform the same task. He eventually drops his gun and rolls through the opening.

Chief John Stacy told KETV that Jarvis acted appropriately. Jarvis reportedly passed a physical fitness test that requires officers to kneel down, fire a shot, and stand-up.

Only one Bellevue Police Officer failed that test. Officer Chris Parent was fired in 2007 due to his physical condition when he failed the state mandated gun test. But Parent thought he was capable of performing his duties and took the department to court. After two years Parent won his case and was recently re-instated as a Bellevue Police Officer.

UNMC docs head to Afghanistan
Several University of Nebraska Medical Center doctors will son travel to Afghanistan to help improve medical training. The medical deployment marks a growing number of partnerships the school and Nebraska National Guard are developing with the Afghanistan.

OSHA after South-O plant
A South Omaha meatpacking plant faces a $16,000 fine after a forklift accident resulted in the death of a 17-year-old boy. On May 8 Miguel Herrera-Soltero toppled a forklift at the Progressive Protein plant at 5102 S. 26th St. Herrera-Soltero was fatally crushed by the vehicle. An investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration revealed three serious safety violations, OSHA officials said. Among the violations was a lack of proper training and supervision for truck operators.

“This worker's family will be forever changed; there is no excuse for this accident,” said Charles Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. “It is imperative that employers eliminate hazards, provide a safe working environment for employees and prevent accidents from occurring.”


Man shot near N 18th and Laird
Eric Lofton, 19, was shot near N 18 th and Laird late Aug. 4. Witnesses told Omaha police a vehicle pulled up to a residence and shot guns at three people sitting in front of 3908 N 18th. While Vance McGee, 18, escaped without injury, Dominique Palmer, 20, broke his arm after while going for cover. Lofton was taken to Nebraska Medical Center for treatment.

Arrests at the HoJo
Omaha police arrested robbery suspect Seth Horstman Aug. 4 at the Howard Johnson near 72nd and Grover. Officers got a tip that Horstman was at the hotel, and they found Christina Perkumas in his room. Perkumas, 25, was arrested for two outstanding warrants issued by the Douglas County Sherriff’s Office and stolen forged checks police found in her purse. Horstman, 24, showed up at the hotel around 6 p.m., and ran from police. After a short foot chase, he was booked for a slew of charges—including robbery, receiving stolen items and accessory to a felony.