Crazy times in Omaha: what do you think of this shooting.

**internet troll** · May 8th, 2019, 07:06 AM

Basically sounds like a guy had his car stolen. He and his friends went searching for the car. They found the thief driving the car and surrounded him. The theif started ramming the cars to get away. One of the guys in a car being rammed opened fire shooting the theif.

Obviously the theif created a dangerous situation by stealing someone else’s property.

Should members of the other group be charged for contributing to a dangerous situation or are their actions justified?

https://www.nonpareilonline.com/news...636e0ff8a.html

Police identify man killed in Monday shooting; case will go before a grand jury

Council Bluffs police identified the person killed following a chase involving three cars Monday night, and the Pottawattamie County Attorney has decided to turn the case over to a grand jury to determine whether or not charges should be filed.

Ethan B. Edgar, 18, of Hutchinson, Kansas, died after being shot at the corner of South Main Street and Ninth Avenue, police said in a statement this afternoon.

According to the police investigation, which is still ongoing, the owner of a stolen black 2009 Nissan 370Z — along with several friends in multiple cars — were actively searching for the car in Council Bluffs, as they had information that it was seen at different locations in the city throughout the day.

The Nissan had been reported stolen to the Omaha Police Department just after 2 a.m. Monday.

Edgar was reportedly behind the wheel of the stolen Nissan, which was parked on a the gas station lot at the corner of South Main Street and Ninth Avenue, when it was located by some of the car owner’s friends, police said.

One of these cars, a blue Honda Civic, pulled directly in front of the Nissan, blocking its forward path, as the second car, a silver Toyota Camry pulled in directly behind the Nissan, blocking it from backing out of the area.

Edgar, the lone occupant of the Nissan, put the car in reverse and accelerated, slamming the rear‐end of the Nissan into the front passenger side door of the Camry, police said.

As Edgar then began to drive forward, Jonathan Echtinaw, 25, of Omaha, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the Camry, allegedly fired multiple shots at the Nissan through his open car door window.

The three cars proceeded to ram into each other several times, with Echtinaw in the Camry allegedly firing additional rounds at the Nissan, police said. A total of 12 spent 9mm shell casings were recovered at the scene.

Edgar was able to drive the Nissan off the gas station lot, heading north on South Main Street, with the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry chasing after it. Edgar reportedly lost control of the Nissan at the intersection of South Main Street and Fifth Avenue, crashing into a tree.

Paramedics transported Edgar to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where he died from his injuries. He had been struck by gunfire twice, once in the upper right back and another time on the right thigh, police said.

The people inside the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry remained on the scene and were questioned by police. After reviewing all the known evidence with the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office, it was decided that no one would be immediately arrested, police said.

It is expected the county attorney will present the evidence to a grand jury to determine if the Echtinaw will face any criminal charges.

Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said his office is evaluating whether or not the incident falls under Iowa’s Stand Your Ground law. In basic terms, the law says a person doesn’t have to retreat before using deadly force if they think their life is being threatened.

“When it comes to (Stand Your Ground), we don’t say ‘self-defense,’ we say ‘justification,’” Wilber said. “To charge, we have to prove a shooting was not justified beyond a reasonable doubt.”

He added that the entire incident was captured on multiple video sources, which will be shown to the grand jury.

“The ‘what’ is not in dispute,” he said. “What needs to be decided is if the response was appropriate and within the law.”

**Statkowski** · May 8th, 2019, 07:18 AM

Blocking in the stolen car isn't overly aggressive, more like non-violent resistance. Incident was escalated when the perp started ramming other vehicles, putting peoples' lives in danger.

On the bright side, he won't be doing that again, ever.