An off-duty Omaha Police officer working security at a gas station shot a man who had fired into a crowd, wounding another man Sunday morning. The man shot by the officer later died.

"At 2:30 a.m. two uniformed officers were working off-duty at the BP gas station at 30th and Ames Avenue, had deployed mace to try and break up a large crowd disturbance in the parking lot,” said Interim Police Chief Eric Buske.

The officers, Jarvis Duncan and Randy Szemplenski, were trying to break up a crowd of about 50-60 people that had gathered in the lot. Much of the action centered around two groups of about five people. Duncan and Szemplenski had already sprayed some mace when according to authorities, they witnessed a shooting.

"Both officers observed an individual point and fire a handgun in direction of the other group,” said Chief Buske. “One of the officers fired his service weapon striking the individual shooting the gun."

Duncan fired at and hit 21-year-old Leroy Goodwin of Omaha. He was taken to Creighton University Medical Center where he died.

The man wounded by Goodwin, 29-year-old Michael Moss of Omaha, was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center by a friend. His injuries are not considered life threatening.

Even though Officer Duncan was working off-duty for a private business, the case is treated as if he was on-duty. Homicide will investigate the shooting and there will be an internal investigation. A grand jury will be called as required by state law to determine if Officer Duncan was justified in firing.

Chief Buske said there's no question Duncan and Szemplenski acted properly. "The officers were acting to defend life, they saw an individual shooting and they responded accordingly." He said investigators do not believe that any gunfire was directed at officers.

Chief Buske believes both Goodwin and the officer fired several shots. A handgun was recovered next to Goodwin at the scene.

Duncan is an 11-year veteran of OPD while Randy Szemplenski is a 19-year veteran. Both have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with OPD policy.

Officer Duncan was in the news only six weeks ago when he was one of three Omaha officers named "Officer of the Year” for his role in tracking down a robbery victim last year who was beaten and left in a trunk.

Police continue to investigate. If you have any information about this case call 444-5656.

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