The traffic stop of boxing champion and Omaha native Bud Crawford has generated national headlines, with people in the car and Omaha's police chief speaking publicly about the incident.
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Major news outlets, including the New York Post, Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, TMZ, ESPN, and World Star, have covered the story. Video from a CBS Sports article shows an officer with his gun drawn, instructing Crawford to exit the vehicle.
Crawford's bodyguard and passenger, Qasim Shabazz Asad, told local podcast 1st Sky Omaha, the incident highlights broader issues.
"We never raised our voice. We was calm, we wasn't belligerent. Man, we did everything. Y'all have to understand, I host classes on how to survive traffic stops. And I think the only reason I, yeah, the only reason I survived is, is because I, I, you know, I did everything that I knew in repetition," Asad said.
The Omaha Police Department declined a request to have the chief speak on camera about the incident, but on Monday morning, he appeared on KFAB radio to discuss what happened.
"He was cited for for reckless driving, and nobody was, nobody was intoxicated. Nobody was, you know, the officers appeared fairly calm to me when I saw this video," the chief said.
KMTV requested OPD share body-worn camera footage of the incident, but the department declined to release it.
Asad shared his perspective on when he says officers had firearms drawn.
"My hands were on the ceiling as Bud was getting out. My hands are on the ceiling, and I'm in the process of walking. Uh, walking the cop on my side through how to get me out of the car. So I'm telling him, I said, listen, man, this is what I need you to do. I need you to open the door and grab my firearm out of my retention holster, cause I'm not moving my hands," Asad said.
Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said he spoke to Crawford personally and believes the stop shouldn't reflect poorly on either party.
"One thing I will say just by watching the body on camera, this incident does not, does not define Terence Crawford, and this incident does not define the Omaha Police Department. I think in a lot of ways this is getting really, really taking a lot of, uh, blown out of proportion ways," Schmaderer said.
Chief Schmaderer confirmed that Crawford requested to file a citizen complaint. Instead, the chief authorized an internal affairs investigation to determine whether officers handled the scene properly.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
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