Fernando Juarez and Jonathan Rosales: Off-duty Nebraska cops being interrogated for fatally shooting 2 men as body cam footage under review
OMAHA, NEBRASKA: Investigators plan to speak with two police officers who shot and killed two men in an SUV while they were off duty in Nebraska's largest city, according to a spokesperson for the Omaha Police Department on Monday, February 5.
The authorities continued to provide few details regarding the events that preceded or took place during the confrontation.
Omaha Police Department (OPD) has identified two officers who fatally shot two men at Extasis Night Club. Captain Jay Leavitt and Officer Robert Soldo, both on paid leave, will be interviewed in the investigation.
Two Omaha officers opened fire on two men
The men in the SUV were working side jobs at a business when the two Omaha officers opened fire on them at around two in the morning on Saturday, February 3, according to preliminary police statements made public over the weekend.
The men, Jonathan Hernandez-Rosales, 28, and Fernando Rodriguez-Juarez, 26, later died at a hospital.
According to police spokesperson Officer Chris Gordon, the officers will be interviewed on Tuesday, February 6 and the department will likely then make their names public.
He added that police will most likely hold a press conference on Thursday, February 8. A candlelit memorial appeared at the location on Sunday, February 4, as seen in KETV-TV footage.
Authorities discovered a handgun in a car
Over the weekend, authorities revealed that they had discovered a handgun inside the car, but they did not elaborate on whether this was against the law or why the two off-duty officers had shot the men.
Additionally, police have not stated if the two officers were wearing their police uniforms or if they identified themselves as officers.
When the shooting occurred, one of the officers had a body camera on, and investigators have been looking through security footage from nearby businesses, according to the authorities, Fox News reported.
While the investigation is being conducted by a police department team, the Nebraska State Patrol, and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, the two officers have been placed on paid leave.
