Omahan says he was wrongly held at gunpoint in 2013 by police officer in fatal shooting | Crime & Co
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Omahan says he was wrongly held at gunpoint in 2013 by
police officer in fatal shooting
By Alissa Skelton / World-Herald staff writer Mar 13, 2015
T. Arthur Haskin, 45, said Officer Alvin Lugod detained him and another African-American man on North
34th Street near Forest Lawn Avenue when responding to a shooting, despite witnesses telling them
they saw a teenage boy running through a yard.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
2. Alvin Lugod
T. Arthur Haskin
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
An Omaha man says he was wrongly held at gunpoint in 2013 by the police officer who shot
and killed a man in February.
T. Arthur Haskin wants the Police Department to take away the badge of Officer Alvin
3. Lugod, an officer he feels is not fit to protect his neighborhood.
Haskin filed a complaint against Lugod after the incident in his neighborhood. Police Chief
Todd Schmaderer informed Haskin, after an investigation, that Lugod had been exonerated.
Haskin said he is upset a grand jury this week chose not to criminally charge Lugod in the
shooting death of Danny Elrod, 39.
Lugod shot Elrod in the back twice. He has said he thought Elrod planned to shoot another
police officer. Elrod told police that he had a gun, Schmaderer has said, but in the end,
authorities found Elrod was unarmed.
“He is reckless,” Haskin said of Lugod. “He is a hazard to the community.”
Lugod responded in July 2013 to a shooting in Haskin’s neighborhood, near 34th Street and
Forest Lawn Avenue.
Barefoot, Haskin emerged from his home to see what was going on. Haskin went across the
street to join a group of neighbors talking about the incident.
Police arrived about 3:50 p.m., and neighbors told officers that they saw a boy run through a
backyard and into a house up the street. Lugod and other officers checked the backyard. The
officers returned to the front yard with their guns drawn and ordered everyone to get on the
ground, Haskin said.
Lugod then detained the two older black men in the group — Haskin and the shooting
victim’s father, according to Haskin.
Lugod held a gun to Haskin’s head and back while he was on the ground in handcuffs, Haskin
said. The women in the group screamed and told officers that Haskin was a witness like
them. Two of the neighbors who were also ordered to the ground backed up Haskin’s story.
4. “He held the gun to the back of his head, and he told him to stay down,” said Aarika Roberts,
a longtime neighbor. “We told all of the officers that T (Haskin) wasn’t the shooter. They
weren’t listening to anything we were telling them. It was very traumatic.”
The officers eventually determined that the two men weren’t suspects and let them go.
Haskin said he had back problems and asked Lugod to take off the handcuffs so he could get
up off the ground. Lugod shouted for him to get up and then jerked him off the ground,
injuring his back and shoulder and cutting his wrists by squeezing the handcuffs, Haskin said.
He said the incident caused his existing back problems to flare up. Haskin said Lugod mocked
him and refused to get him medical attention. The officer also refused to give Haskin his
name or badge number.
Haskin called 911 and was taken to the hospital to be treated. He said he is still paying off the
$3,000 of medical treatment he received as a result of the incident.
Brian Haywood, now 19, was arrested months after the incident and found guilty of first-
degree assault for shooting RayMeisha Parks, 19.
“The officer treated (Haskin) so wrong. He profiled him,” Roberts said. “The officer didn’t
even apologize to him.”
5. Haskin filed a complaint against Lugod. Based on cruiser camera footage, Schmaderer
concluded that Lugod did not use excessive force when detaining Haskin and found his
conduct was in accordance with Omaha Police Department policy. Lugod was recommended
for discipline for initially refusing to give Haskin his badge number, although police
eventually gave Lugod’s information to Haskin.
John Wells, Omaha police union president, said Lugod was ultimately not disciplined.
“The investigation found that the officer (Lugod) did not use excessive force to handcuff you
and that he ultimately did give you his information,” Schmaderer wrote in a letter to Haskin.
“... The officer is exonerated in this matter.”
Schmaderer said Friday that he could not comment on this case since Lugod is currently
under an internal police investigation in the Elrod shooting.
Haskin’s attorney, Tom Freeman, has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the
officer’s actions in the incident with Haskin and what he called a larger pattern of crimes
committed against African-American citizens by a small number of Omaha officers. The
Justice Department has not replied.
Haskin said the snitching culture often makes people fearful of talking to police after a
shooting. He said he wanted to help police and wasn’t respected in return. He said he now
has a hard time trusting police and the justice system.
“I was trying to do the right thing and come forward with information,” he said. “The
experience makes me feel like slavery is back. It made me feel like an animal.”
Contact the writer: 402-444-1066, alissa.skelton@owh.com
* * * * *
An earlier version of this story reported incorrectly that Police Officer Alvin Lugod was disciplined for
initially refusing to give T. Arthur Haskin his badge number. Lugod was recommended for discipline
but ultimately wasn't disciplined.
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