Omaha Police release details of Friday night protest arrests

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Demonstrators gathered outside Omaha Police Department headquarters Friday night in response to the officer-involved shooting death of an Omaha man Thursday night, leading to arrests and citations.

The Omaha Police Department on Saturday morning reported two people were arrested during the protest, including a woman booked for disorderly conduct and a man booked for assault on an officer and carrying a concealed weapon.

Citations were written for three others including allegations of obstruction and disorderly conduct.

The protest was in response to the death of Kenneth Jones, 35. An investigation into the shooting is ongoing while the two officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.

In a statement released Saturday, OPD reported the following:

The Problac protest on Friday began at 6 p.m. and remained lawful until 8:23 p.m. when the group began marching in 15th Street towards the Old Market then back to OPD headquarters.

“OPD simply blocked off streets for them,” the report reads.

At 8:31 p.m. eggs were thrown at officers by unknown attendees in the crowd. A short time later, a protester began to rip down police tape in the plaza, causing the crowd to “encroach towards officers.”

The suspect who tore the tape tried to flee but was arrested for disorderly conduct and property destruction.

“The crowd became uncooperative and one male in the crowd shined a laser light striking an officer in the face,” police stated. The male suspected of shining the laser was found and booked for assault on an officer and carrying a concealed weapon -- two large knives.

Others assaulted officers while some members of the crowd obstructed police from detaining the suspects.

The protest was declared an unlawful assembly due to “unlawfully blocking roadways, property destruction, and violence.”

Police used pepper spray and began to push the crowd in efforts to make them disperse.

At about 9:30 p.m., the crowd began to leave. Officers then responded to a gathering crowd outside Douglas County Corrections.

About 30 people from the protest were outside the DCC in the parking lot. Corrections staff told officers the group needed to leave the area.

“Officers informed the individuals of such and learned that one of the females in the crowd was claiming injury,” but she refused assistance and left in a private car. The rest of the group eventually dispersed or stood on a nearby sidewalk.

In total, one man and one woman were arrested while three women were cited for disorderly conduct or obstruction.

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