Autopsy confirms man was killed by officer, not shot in back

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The autopsy of the man killed by police Saturday night was completed Monday, according to Omaha police.

In a statement Monday afternoon, OPD again addressed rumors about the death of 22-year-old Steven Phipps, saying the autopsy revealed no injuries to his back.

“Rumors circulated in the community regarding this incident, specifically stating that Mr. Phipps was shot in the back by police. However, the autopsy completed today confirms that Mr. Phipps suffered no injuries to his back or this area of ​​his body.”

The department had made similar comments in an update late Saturday evening.

“We have heard rumors surrounding this incident that are inaccurate. The OPD Public Information Office is the official source of information on this incident. Our department is committed to transparency and keeping the community informed with factual information.”

Police said the two officers involved will be formally questioned on Tuesday. OPD said they will identify the officer involved when that happens and provide written details of those interviews. OPD also plans to hold a news conference about the shooting at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The update comes a day after police released a detailed report on the shooting that included a photo they said was of the suspected weapon taken by an Omaha police officer's body-worn camera.

According to Saturday's update, the incident escalated due to a traffic stop that two OPD officers conducted south of 31st Street and Ames Avenue at 5:45 p.m. that evening. Phipps, the driver of a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, immediately exited the vehicle after officers pulled him over.

As they stood near their patrol car, officers gave him verbal commands to “stay in the car,” but then he ran south through a nearby parking lot and both officers ran after him, the OPD report said.

According to the report, Phipps pulled a handgun from his front as he climbed over a fence near the Metro Area Transit Center. According to police, the movement was captured on OPD body-worn camera video.

An officer shot and struck Phipps, the report said. An ambulance took him to Nebraska Medical Center, where he died.

None of the officers were injured. The officer who shot Phipps has been placed on administrative leave.

“Various aspects of this incident were captured on the officer's body-worn camera, patrol car camera and area surveillance footage,” OPD said Saturday.

Police also said Phipps had a passenger in the vehicle when he was stopped. That person walked away from the scene as police pursued Phipps, but has since been located, according to Saturday's OPD update.

—

Digital producer Jackson Piercy contributed to this report.

—

Get the latest news straight to your inbox. Sign up for 6 News email alerts.

Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.