A 17-year-old motorcyclist who police chased down O Street reached speeds as high as 100 mph as he fled a traffic stop Tuesday morning, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.
The teenager, who voluntarily stopped the motorcycle as he approached 120th Street, had brass knuckles in his pocket and a concealed handgun in his backpack when troopers took him into custody at about 2 a.m., the patrol said in a news release.
The pursuit began near 56th and O streets, when a trooper saw two motorcycles without license plates and attempted a traffic stop.
Both motorcycles fled east at a high rate of speed, passing the city's eastern edge before one motorcyclist turned north and the other continued on O Street before stopping, the Patrol said.
A spokesman said there was little traffic on O Street at the time.
The 17-year-old was referred to the Lancaster County Attorney's Office on suspicion of willful reckless driving, carrying a concealed weapon and flight to avoid arrest. He was taken to the Youth Services Center.
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The Patrol has not located the second motorcyclist.
Most dangerous cities in Nebraska
Dangerous Cities in Nebraska
See how your hometown ranks among the most dangerous cities in Nebraska. Ratings have been determined according to the number of violent crimes per 1,000 people in cities of at least 10,000, with violent crime being classified as murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. The numbers are for 2019, the most recent year for which the FBI provides data.
6. South Sioux City
With 30 violent crimes in 2019 and a population of 12,771 (the smallest on our list), the city in northeast Nebraska had 2.35 violent crimes per 1,000 people.
Photo: An RV park in South Sioux City on the Missouri River.
5. Scottsbluff
The city of 15,862 had 53 violent crimes for a rate of 3.34 per 1,000 in 2019.
Photo: Gering Police Officer Jordan McBride talks with Scottsbluff Police Officer Michael Modeac as he puts up crime scene tape at the scene of an armed standoff in Scottsbluff in June 2021.
4. North Platte
With a population of 23,705 and 89 violent crimes, the city had a rate of 3.75 per 1,000.
Photo: Union Pacific train engines line up outside a service building in North Platte.
3. Lincoln
The Star City had a population of 291,128 with 1,115 violent crimes, a rate of 3.83 per 1,000.
Photo: Police in Lincoln investigate a shooting near the intersection of 14th and E streets in August 2019.
2. Grand Island
With a population of 51,821 and 236 violent crimes, the largest of the Tri Cities had a 2019 rate of 4.55 per 1,000 people.
Photo: Grand Island police and State Patrol personnel investigate after a body was found in a Grand Island yard in August 2020.
1. Omaha
In 2019, the state's largest city at 470,481 people had 2,833 violent crimes for a rate of 6.13 per 1,000.
Photo: Omaha police and University Police guard the entrance to the Nebraska Medicine Emergency room after an Omaha police officer was shot at Westroads Mall in March 2021.
A note about the numbers
The statue at the entrance to Boys Town. It doesn't take much to skew the numbers. With eight violent crimes in 2019, Boys Town topped the state at 13.82 per 1,000 people, which is a misleading stat because it only had a 2019 population of 579.
With eight violent crimes in 2019, Boys Town topped the state at 13.82 per 1,000 people, which is a misleading stat because it only had a 2019 population of 579.
Photo: The statue at the entrance to Boys Town. It doesn't take much to skew the numbers.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @andrewwegley
