Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle today says he's "concerned" about the process by which the state's correctional system determines furloughs for prisoners, especially those with a violent history or known gang members.
Suttle says 29-year-old Jermaine Lucas should have been serving his 5-8 year sentence and not on Omaha's streets this past weekend.
Lucas was shot and killed by Omaha Police officers early Sunday morning. Reports indicate that Lucas was armed and lunged for a weapon before being shot by officers Alvin Lugod and Joseph Koenig.
Lucas was in Omaha on a 48-hour furlough from the Community Corrections Center in Lincoln. He was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
"I am concerned that a known gang member facing five to eight years in the state penitentiary can be armed in our neighborhoods instead of serving time in prison," Suttle said.
The mayor called for the state's correctional leaders to contact Omaha when violent offenders are released on furlough and parole so "arrangements can be made" by police to keep track of the offender.
"What is troubling is that Omaha Police were not notified by the state about a dangerous individual on our streets so we could at least be on the lookout and prepared to defuse a volatile situation like the one that took place early Sunday morning," Suttle said.
Suttle said Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer has "had communications with state officials to find answers" and encourages that dialogue to continue.
