A Nebraska officer who fatally shot an unarmed Black man will be fired, police chief says

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha’s police chief on Wednesday said he is firing an officer who fatally shot an unarmed Black man while serving a no-knock warrant, a policy that has since been suspended in the city.

Omaha Police Officer Adam Vail was part of a SWAT team serving the search warrant during a drug and firearms investigation on Aug. 28 when he fired the single shot that killed 37-year-old Cameron Ford, prosecutors said. Vail said Ford charged at him without his hands visible.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine declined to charge the officer. But Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer in a statement Wednesday said an internal investigation found Vail violated department procedures.

“During the course of the investigation, I did not see or uncover any criminal intent on the part of Officer Vail,” Schmaderer said. “Nonetheless, I cannot ignore my determination that policy and procedure violations occurred.”

An Associated Press request for comment to the Omaha Police Officer’s Association was not immediately returned Wednesday.

Vail will get a chance to appeal to human resources before the firing is finalized, Schmaderer said in a press release.

Ford’s death prompted Omaha police to suspend no-knock warrants pending an investigation into the practice.

Mayor Jean Stothert in a statement Wednesday backed Schmaderer’s decision.

“I have confidence in and support the Chief’s decision to recommend the termination of Officer Vail after the review of Omaha Police Department policies and the events on August 28th,” she said. “Our community can be certain that the Omaha Police Department will always maintain the highest level of accountability.”