Omaha police union calls attention to dangers of job after an officer is shot in line of duty
The Omaha police union calls attention to the dangers of the job after an officer is shot in the head in the line of duty. 36-year-old Shedrick Mills is accused of shooting Officer Steven Murcek in the head during a disturbance call at the QuikTrip on 120th and Dodge, Monday morning. "They showed up like any other routine call, ready to handle the call, head home to their families," Dempsey said. "That didn't happen yesterday."READ MORE: Family of man accused in shooting that injured Omaha police officer addresses mental health in statementThe Omaha Police Officers Association said Monday's shooting is just one of several instances in the past 11 months that an officer has been shot at. In the last calendar year, Dempsey said, there have been four instances where Omaha police officers were shot at. That includes the deadly shooting at an apartment complex in April. Police said a suspect killed someone and then shot at police. One officer had a minor injury."Those officers were pinned down in the hallway getting shot at," Dempsey said. "The 72nd and Dodge on January 3rd, that officer's getting shot at by that guy who had just killed somebody else. And that's two instances where they've already taken a human life. What's a cop's life at that point in time?"As officers work to protect the citizens of Omaha, Dempsey said he hopes everyone will respond with some support. "I just want the community to know that we are we are humans just like anybody else, right? We go home to our families at the end," Dempsey said. "That's all we want. And I would love for the community to know and treat officers accordingly."READ MORE: Omaha police identify officer injured, 36-year-old man arrested in shootingDempsey said Murcek is at home recovering. Mills is scheduled to be in court Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. He is facing several charges, including attempted second-degree murder. NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
