On the evening of September 11, 2003, 30-year-old Omaha Police Department officer Jason Tye Pratt was shot in the head while officers were searching for a suspect who had fled a traffic stop near North 34th Avenue and Corby Street. The suspect, later identified as 21-year-old Albert W. Rucker, reportedly emerged from behind bushes and began shooting at officers; Pratt was struck by a single round and suffered a devastating injury.

Other officers returned fire and killed Rucker at the scene. Colleagues performed CPR until paramedics transported Pratt to Creighton University Medical Center. He remained in a coma for eight days, was promoted to the rank of Sergeant during that period, and died on September 19, 2003, with his family at his side. Pratt was a husband and father of two young daughters.

The investigation determined that Rucker, a convicted felon with active warrants, was the only person responsible for Sergeant Pratt’s death. Did anyone who knew Sergeant Pratt or witnessed the incident have additional details to share?