Charges against former Nebraska trooper unexpectedly dropped

May 24, 2018, 11:51 a.m. ·

Flick_MotionDismiss.jpg
Motion to dismiss filed by special prosecutor.

All charges have been dropped against former Nebraska State Patrol trooper Timothy Flick days before he was scheduled to go on trial.

Former state trooper Tim Flick before his termination. (Photo: NSP)

A special prosecutor charged officer Flick with misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide and lying to a grand jury about the incident.

Thursday Special Prosecutor Joe Stecher filed a one sentence motion to dismiss the case Thursday in Sheridan County Court. No explanation for dropping the charges was given. Court records do not indicate any sort of plea deal was part of the unexpected action.

At the time charges were filed, Stecher claimed Flick unintendedly contributed to the death of a motorist fleeing during a high-speed pursuit down dirt roads in Sioux County in 2016. Dash-cam video appears to show Flick nudging the pursued car off a dirt road in northeast Nebraska prior to the fatal crash.

The incident only began getting scrutinized after media reports revealed top leadership in the patrol provided conflicting versions of what happened, apparently to protect the institution’s public image.

The allegations of a cover-up in the Flick case and another use-of-force incident lead to an overhaul in the top leadership of the patrol, including the dismissal of the patrol’s commanding officer. His replacement, Col. John Bolduc, fired Flick. In addition, two officers were demoted and two others kept their jobs but faced administrative penalties.

A report issued by Governor Pete Rickett’s office at the time found conduct that gave “rise to a reasonable suspicion of dishonesty and/or dereliction of duty.”

On Thursday Flick, in a statement released by his defense attorney David Domina, addressed the family of Antoine LaDeaux, the man killed in the accident, saying he has “sadness for the family that lost a loved one in the incident.” Flick added, in his own defense, “my work at the time this occurred was in accord with State Patrol Policy.”

The statement added that Flick hopes to be reinstated as a Nebraska state trooper.