Central Nebraska Today
LEXINGTON — The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office is providing additional information regarding an incident that occurred during the evening hours of Monday, April 8.
On April 8, around 8:47 p.m., the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office was advised to watch for a Toyota Camery with a specific license plate that was possibly traveling westbound on Interstate 80 in Dawson County.
The vehicle was reported to be occupied by Linden Long, 22, of Wisconsin, who had an active federal felony arrest warrant for bank robbery and was possibly armed and dangerous.
Dawson County deputies were able to locate the vehicle and conducted a felony traffic stop and the vehicle came to stop at the westbound Gothenburg I-80 offramp.
Deputies found that Long was the sole occupant of the vehicle, but he was non-compliant with verbal commands and refused to exit the vehicle.
Negotiations with Long were initiated, but he fled the interchange in the vehicle and proceeded to the 300 block of Platte River Road in Gothenburg where the vehicle came to a stop at a dead end.
Deputies exited their patrol vehicles and then heard a single gunshot that came from the inside of Long’s vehicle.
The vehicle then aggressively accelerated through a metal panel marking the end of the road and came to rest after striking a tree. Emergency medical services were contacted and placed on standby until the vehicle could be cleared by law enforcement.
It was discovered that Long suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and a firearm was discovered inside the vehicle.
Long was transported by the Gothenburg Volunteer Fire Department to Gothenburg Memorial Hospital, he was later transported to CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Long died of his injuries on Saturday, April 13, while at Good Samaritan Hospital.
The South Central Area Law Enforcement Services were contacted by the sheriff’s office to investigate further.
A grand jury will be convened at a future date that has not been determined by the Dawson County Attorney’s Office with regards to the incident.
The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Nebraska State Patrol, Gothenburg Police Department and Dawson County Emergency Management.
