OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — John Ezell Jr., a gang member who shot an OPD officer at close range in September, will have his medical bills paid by the City of Omaha.
According to our partners at the Omaha World-Herald, the city attorney Jeff Bloom said they are constitutionally required to pay for medical treatment of people who are injured in police custody. He says the rule is based on a 1988 Nebraska Supreme Court case.
In total, Ezell's bills at Nebraska Medical Center were $239,670.
“I’m sure there’s going to be a number of council members who will hold their nose and vote for it,” City Council President Ben Gray told the OWH. “I’m going to be one of them. We’re obligated to do it.”
Officer Ken Fortune, 42, who has been with the Omaha Police Gang Unit for 11 years, returned to work a month after being shot.
