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Update: OPD confirms officer-involved shooting near 41st and I Avenue

Posted at 4:20 PM, Dec 23, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-27 22:53:45-05

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV)- UPDATED 12/12/2021 — The Omaha Police Department says Justin Michalak is in the hospital after an officer-involved shooting on Dec 23.

Police say Michalak will be booked into jail on multiple felony charges including assault of an officer upon his release from the hospital.

According to a press release, Officer Josiah Warren will be placed on administrative leave pending the investigation, which is the department's policy.

Officers say they responded to a disturbance near 41st and I Avenue around 2:30 p.m. The caller said he was having a fight with his mother, who he said possessed and controlled him with her mind, according to an OPD news release.

When officers got to the scene they say they saw a woman screaming near the front sidewalk, "please help, he's cutting his throat."

Police have identified the woman as Deborah Michalak.

Authorities say she went into the house and continued to yell "help me."

The police followed her into the home and saw a man seated in a chair, wearing a blood-soaked shirt and holding a knife.

Police have identified that man as her son, Justin Michalak.

They say he was screaming and cutting himself near his throat with the knife. That's when his mother began struggling with him.

Officers began telling Justin to drop the knife. Police say he yelled "shoot me," and began to stand up with the knife in his hand.

Police say he then stood up and moved towards one of the officers, who then deployed a taser. But he still refused to drop the knife.

The officers say he charged towards one of them, and the officer deployed his taser a second time.

Justin went to the floor, but continued to fight and attempted to rush toward both officers again, while they moved backwards outside the front door.

Officers then say they saw him rush towards his mother in an "aggressive manner" with the knife.

Both officers continued to tell him to drop the knife, but instead he raised the knife towards his mother.

That's when one of the officers shot Justin and hit him in the left cheek, police said.

Both Justin and his mother fell to the floor, where officers were able to give first-aid to Justin, and get his mother out safely.

Even after this, police say Justin remained combative and tackled one of the officers.

Backup was called and they were able to take him into custody.

Officers gave first-aid as they waited for medics to arrive and 3 News Now is told that Justin was sent to the hospital in serious condition.

Omaha Police say the altercation was recorded on body worn cameras and is being investigated by Omaha Police, the Nebraska State Patrol and the Sarpy County Sheriff's Agency.

They have released photos of the altercation, but, due to the graphic nature of them, 3 News Now has chosen not to display them.

The investigation is ongoing.

The Omaha Police Department held a press conference on Thursday afternoon stemming from an incident that occurred at 2:33 p.m. OPD Captain Kathy Belcastro-Gonzalez stated that an altercation took place on South 41st Street and that there was a disturbance between a man and a woman.

Watch below or on our Facebook page.

Belcastro-Gonzalez also said that at least one officer discharged their weapon and that an "officer-involved-shoot team" was on the scene.

"The officer-involved shooting investigation team is our team but we do have other agencies that assist us in these investigations," explained Officer Phil Anson in an email.

Anson also said that a grand jury investigation is only required by law if there is a death resulting from an officer-involved shooting and, as of right now, the injuries are not believed to be fatal.

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