On the evening of November 19, 2020, a 35-year-old Black male named Kenneth Jones was killed during a police encounter that began as a traffic stop near 27th and Harrison Streets in Omaha, Nebraska, rather than St. Louis. Officers from the Omaha Police Department initiated the stop on a vehicle occupied by four individuals, citing the car's presence in the middle of the roadway as the reason for the intervention. During the interaction, officers ordered the occupants to show their hands. While the driver and two female passengers complied, police stated that Jones, who was in the backseat behind the driver, did not follow commands to raise his hands and appeared to be reaching for something.
The situation escalated rapidly when officers approached the vehicle with weapons drawn. Officer Dan Faulkner shattered the driver’s side rear window with his flashlight to gain access to Jones. A physical struggle ensued as officers attempted to remove him from the car. Police reports and subsequent grand jury testimony alleged that Jones was in possession of a. 45-caliber handgun and that he reached for the weapon during the wrestle. Officer Faulkner fired four shots into the vehicle, striking Jones. He was pulled from the car and officers attempted CPR, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead after being transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Following the shooting, a grand jury was convened to review the actions of the officers involved to determine if criminal charges were warranted. The investigation included a review of body-camera footage, which showed the chaotic moments of the stop and the struggle, although the specific visual confirmation of a gun in Jones's hand was a point of contention and intense public scrutiny. In March 2021, the grand jury declined to indict the officers, concluding that no criminal charges would be filed against Officer Faulkner or Officer Richard Marti. The firearm attributed to Jones was recovered at the scene, and while the incident sparked protests and demands for transparency, the legal proceedings concluded without any arrests or convictions of the law enforcement personnel involved.
