A Douglas County judge has ordered that a single grand jury examine the deaths of seven men who died in law enforcement custody within a four-month period.
The seven deaths are not connected, but District Judge J. Russell Derr said a single grand jury would be able to most efficiently examine each death.
State law requires a grand jury to be convened any time a person dies in police custody, or in the process of being apprehended. The panel is scheduled to convene June 7.
The deaths:
>> David P. Borrink, 46. Shot himself Oct. 18 inside his car after officers pulled him over near 51st and Lake Streets, police said.
>> James R. Main, 64. Died Oct. 27 of natural causes in jail, authorities said.
>> Antonio S. Vigil, 68. Died Nov. 17 of natural causes in jail, authorities said.
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>> Joe M. Weible, 35. Shot to death Dec. 6 by an Omaha police officer and U.S. marshal during a sting operation outside a shopping center near 120th Street and West Center Road, police said. Weible was wanted in connection with a violent sexual assault.
>> Justin E. Watson, 26. Died Dec. 19 at Creighton University Medical Center, seven days after a struggle with police in northeast Omaha, authorities said. Watson overdosed on narcotics, damaged a north Omaha house and fought officers.
>> Joseph M. Bacon, 42. Killed himself Dec. 19 inside his South Omaha home after a nearly five-hour standoff with a police SWAT team, authorities said. The man had threatened suicide and refused to comply with officers. Police discovered his body after entering the house.
>> Michael D. Moore, 26. Died Feb. 18 after assaulting a woman and struggling with a group of residents in northeast Omaha. Several officers tried to control Moore after arriving at the scene and placed him into a police cruiser. He stopped breathing and died later at the hospital, police said. Authorities say Moore was using narcotics at the time of the incident.
