- A large crowd gathered at the Omaha 360 meeting to demand answers from Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson following the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Jandidi Ibrahim by a deputy.
- Sheriff Hanson cited an ongoing investigation as the reason for not releasing full body camera footage and described the incident as a "spontaneous" response to a "real-time threat"—without providing specific details.
- Ibrahim’s family and attorney expressed frustration over the lack of clarity, questioning procedures and calling for the full release of body cam footage to understand what led to the deadly use of force.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Tensions were high at this week’s Omaha 360 meeting, where a growing number of concerned community and family members packed the room to demand answers from Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson. The outcry follows the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Janidi Ibrahim by a sheriff’s deputy last week.
Dozens of residents, including family members of Ibrahim, showed up with signs in hand, pressing Sheriff Hanson for clarity surrounding the circumstances of the shooting.
“We got our point across that we're not tolerating it no more,” said Sherman Wells, a community member. When asked whether Hanson addressed their concerns, Wells responded, “No, he danced around everything we asked him.”
Though cameras are not permitted inside Omaha 360 meetings, attendees say Sheriff Hanson emphasized that the investigation is ongoing—citing this as the reason body camera footage has not yet been released. He told those present that the deputy involved is the department’s “highest trained.”
When asked what led to the shooting, Hanson described it as a “spontaneous” interaction, claiming the deputy responded to a “real-time threat.” However, he did not provide specific details about what prompted the use of deadly force.
Outside the meeting, Melissa Wright spoke with Ibrahim’s mother-in-law, who was holding his infant child.
“I don’t feel so good— I don’t know what reason he got killed,” she said. “I need the body camera [footage]... then I have to relax," said Hihalima Mohammed.
Attorney Tim Ashford, representing the family, also expressed frustration over the lack of transparency.
“He never came out and said our procedures were perfectly followed,” Ashford said. “I’ve heard that before—even without releasing the videotape—but he never said that.”
The Sheriff’s Office has released still images from the deputy’s body camera, claiming that Ibrahim had a gun in the car and, at one point, pointed it at the deputy. However, the complete footage has yet to be made public.
For now, Ibrahim’s family and many in the North Omaha community remain unsatisfied and continue to call for accountability and the full release of the body cam video.
In North Omaha, I’m Melissa Wright.
