Lincoln Police have released more details following Tuesday’s officer involved shooting in a hotel parking lot near 25th and Fairfield. Acting Police Chief Michon Morrow says they received a bulletin that 35-year-old Garrett Hanika was wanted on a federal warrant out of Council Bluffs on weapons charges.
Morrow says he was also a suspect in the theft of several firearms. She says they also learned that Hanika was known to drive an orange Jeep. Around 12:30 p.m. an LPD officer spotted the Jeep in the parking lot of the Microtel Inn and Suites and Hanika was behind the wheel. She released three security photos of the scene during a Wednesday morning briefing.
The first photo shows the LPD cruiser parked behind the Jeep and the officer walking up to it to try and make contact with Hanika. Morrow says the cruiser had it’s lights on.
The second photo shows one of the two times that the Jeep reversed and slammed into the cruiser.
Morrow says after the second collision Hanika drove directly at the officer, who managed to avoid being hit. During the incident, Morrow says a 39-year-old woman who was in the passenger seat got out of the vehicle and was run over by the Jeep. “She suffered non-life threatening, life altering injuries.” She says the officer then shot at the Jeep. The third security photo released shows the Jeep up near the hotel after Hanika had been shot twice by the officer.
Hankia suffered a wound to his head and lower body. He was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released. He was then taken to jail where he was booked on several charges. “In addition to the federal warrant, first degree assault, attempted first-degree assault on an officer and use of a deadly weapon, which was the Jeep,” Morrow says. He was also booked for resisting arrest with a deadly weapon.
The unidentified officer was not injured and was has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure after an officer-involved shooting.
Garrett Hanika (Photo courtesy LSO )