Ashley told me that she and Lance's other family members plan to take civil and criminal action against the Omaha Police Department and the City of Omaha.
The family doesn't have a lawyer yet,
however. "We can't afford one. But we're holding fundraisers hoping to raise money to pay
an attorney a retainer fee to secure legal help on these matters," Ashley McIntire confided.
"There is a definite pattern and practice here in Omaha, involving police using terrible violence," Cunningham said.
"In fact, last year, in Douglas County, where Omaha is located,
we had one of the highest rates of officer-involved homicides in the country.
And in particular, South Omaha has had four or five gang-unit involved
incidents where these gang units apprehended someone - just like Lance - who
ended up dead," he said.
"Each time, there has never been any shots fired by these victims. This is only going
back three years, though, so who knows what happened before all this?" Cunningham said.
Canupa Gluha Mani, leader of the Strongheart Warrior Society and a Lakota Native, is not letting the murder by police of his nephew, Lance McIntire, go unanswered.
(Image by flickr.com) Details DMCA
"These people all ended up dead. There was never any danger that these cops faced," he said.
"The gang units roll around in unmarked cars. The cops wear plain clothes. Nobody would know they're police if you saw them in the street," Cunningham said.
"There is a North Omaha
gang unit and a South Omaha gang unit," he said.
"The police took the title of Lance's car in November of last year and we know that was how the ID-ed his vehicle. They handed me this evidence bag last year and Lance's car's title was in it," Cunningham told this writer.
Omaha.com gives this account of the circumstances of Lance McIntire's slaying: "(On April 7) At 4:16 p.m. afternoon shift Omaha Police Gang
Unit Officers received information that the red Toyota Camry was
located in the parking lot of Sol's Jewelry and Loan at 3110 "L" Street. The
vehicle was unoccupied. Within a few minutes after Omaha Police Gang
Unit Officers arrived at Sol's, they observed two adult males exit the
store and walk to the vehicle. One of the adult males, who was later
identified as Lance McIntire (Date of Birth 12-15-71) entered into the
driver's seat and locked the doors of the vehicle as Gang Officers
approached the vehicle. The second male party, who was later identified
as Gregory Day (Date of Birth 06-09-67), was detained by Omaha Police
Gang Officers before he was able to enter the vehicle.
"Mr.
McIntire refused to comply with loud verbal commands given by the
officers to exit the vehicle. The officers attempted to break out the
window of the vehicle to apprehend Mr. McIntire, but were unsuccessful.
Additional Gang Officers arrived at the scene to assist in detaining the
suspects," the Omaha.com article continues.
"A total of five marked and unmarked Omaha Police Department Gang Unit vehicles
attempted to block in the Camry. Two of the vehicles were equipped with
red and blue emergency lights that were activated. A total of eight
Gang Unit Officers had arrived on scene.
"The Gang Unit Officers
were dressed in police tactical vests. The vests are clearly marked with
the word Police and an Omaha Police Badge on the vest. Three
witnesses, including Mr. Day were interviewed by the Officer-Involved
Investigations Team detectives. During their interviews, they all stated
that they clearly recognized the Gang Unit Officers as Police Officers," the Omaha.com story suggests.
"Omaha
Police Gang Unit Officer Dale Thomas, along with his partner Officer
Rob Wiley, was the last cruiser that arrived at Sol's. Officer Thomas
parked his marked cruiser facing in the direction of the Camry. The red
and blue emergency lights on Officer Thomas' cruiser were activated.
Officer Thomas got out of his cruiser and walked to the rear of the
cruiser to the open trunk. Officer Thomas was looking inside of the
trunk for a glass breaking tool. Officer Thomas then walked from the
rear of his cruiser around to the driver's side. Officer Thomas was
positioned in a seven and a half foot gap between his cruiser and
another Omaha Police Gang Unit cruiser when Mr. McIntire accelerated and
drove the Camry directly towards him," the article reads.
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