The Omaha Police Department have provided an update at 4:57 p.m. Thursday night:
Investigators have identified the suspect as 28-year-old Juan Melgar-Ayala. Police say Meglar-Ayala was involved in a shooting prior to the one that injured officers. He shot 61 -year-old Michael Kasper hours earlier at a grocery store in North Omaha. Investigators say Kasper is in the hospital in serious condition but is expected to survive.
Using information from witnesses and license plate reader technology, police were able to track Meglar-Ayala to the QuikTrip at 32nd and L Streets.
Bodycam video from one of the officers shows Meglar-Ayala looking out of the bathroom of the QuikTrip with a gun, pointing it at the officers.
OPD says Six officers were involved, four of them were injured:
Sergeant Jonathon Holtrop, Uniform Patrol Bureau, 17 years
Sergeant Emilio Luna, Gang Unit, 11 years, sustained a gunshot wound to his foot
Detective Brock Rengo, Assault Unit, 8 years, sustained a grazing gunshot wound to his leg
Detective Jordan Brandt, Gang Unit, 15 years, sustained a gunshot wound to his leg
Detective Christopher Brown, Gang Unit, sustained a shrapnel injury to his foot
Detective Kyle Graber, Gang Unit, 11 years
The investigation is ongoing. You can find full details of the press release on the Omaha Police Department's website.
December 3rd:
The Omaha Police Department confirms three officers have been injured in what the department is describing as an officer involved incident near the QuikTrip near 32nd and L streets. A large police presence can be seen around the gas station in South Omaha. The emergency response call started as shots fired, officer down. Omaha police tell us 3 officers are injured and have been taken to local hospitals. The officers injuries are non-life threatening. The suspect in the incident is deceased.
The Omaha Police Department shared this news release just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday evening.
Deputy Chief Sherie Thomas provided an update on the condition of the officers just before 5 p.m. She says all three were part of the gang unit. One has been discharged at this time. Thomas says All three officer's injuries are "serious but not life threatening." Dep. Chief Thomas said how they were able to initially track the suspect, who was a suspect in a shooting on 30th and Ames.
Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and Mayor John Ewing Jr. speak to media on what they know so far.
Our team arrived at the QuikTrip on South 32nd and L streets to find police already on the scene. An officer on the scene
Reporter Hannah McIlree is at Nebraska Medicine where she can see entrances to the hospital being monitored by OPD officers.
This is a developing story, and we will provide more information as we learn it.
