The Nebraska State Patrol helicopter was used twice in about three hours to help arrest two men who tried to flee from troopers in Lincoln. Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas says around 9:30 Friday night a trooper saw a Ford Fusion failing to stay in its lane and driving without lights on.
“The trooper attempted a traffic stop on Highway 6, east of Lincoln. As the trooper approached the vehicle, the driver accelerated and fled toward Lincoln,” Thomas says. The NSP helicopter began tracking the vehicle so the trooper did not have to give chase.
NSP pilots tracked the vehicle as it turned southbound in Lincoln and eventually stopped in a business parking lot near 70th and A. “A trooper then attempted to contact the driver again and the driver fled a second time,” Thomas says. The vehicle stopped a short time later at a residence near 70th and O.
24-year-old Mohammed Alhasan of Lincoln was taken into custody and booked for willful reckless driving, flight to avoid arrest, DUI – 4th offense, driving without ignition interlock and traffic violations.
Around 12:30 Saturday morning another trooper saw two motorbikes driving with no lights or license plates near 70th and O in Lincoln. The trooper tried to make a traffic stop, but the two riders accelerated and fled northbound on 70th Street. The trooper then initiated a pursuit.
The patrol says the riders separated after a short time, and one was taken into custody moments later. The other rider went into a residential area and continued to flee. The NSP helicopter picked up the pursuit from the air and directed troopers to an area near 63rd and Garland where the rider had come to a stop.
He was then taken into custody without further incident. 19-year-old Amir Al-Zayadi of Lincoln was arrested for careless driving, flight to avoid arrest and traffic violations. The first rider, a 16-year-old male, was booked at Lancaster County Youth Services.