Lincoln Police on Monday released the name of the officer who shot and wounded a man in the parking lot of a hotel last Tuesday. Public Information Manager Erika Thomas says Officer Nicholas Vest shot 35-year-old Garrett Hanika at the Microtel Inn and Suites near 25th and Fairfield.
Vest has been with LPD since July 2021 and has more than seven years of law enforcement experience. Police say Hanika was wanted on a federal warrant from Council Bluffs. Police Chief Michon Morrow says they learned Hanika was also a suspect in the theft of several firearms.
She says Hanika was also known to drive an orange Jeep. Last Tuesday Vest saw the Jeep in the parking lot of the hotel and pulled in behind it. Morrow says the officer then tried to walk up to the drivers side window to contact Hanika.
“The driver puts his vehicle into reverse an accelerates rapidly and hits the cruiser,” Morrow says. Officer Vest was able to get out of the way. Morrow says the driver then accelerated again and drove toward the officer before backing into the cruiser a second time.
Vest fired his gun at the Jeep and Hanika suffered a wound to his head and lower body. During the incident, Morrow says Hanika’s 39-year-old female passenger got out of the Jeep and he ran her over. Employees at a nearby business gave officers a jack to help rescue the woman from underneath the Jeep. She remains in the hospital in serious condition.
Hanika was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. He was later put in jail for the federal warrant as well as charges of first degree assault, attempted first degree assault on an officer, use of a deadly weapon and resisting arrest with a deadly weapon.
Officer Vest was not hurt. He is currently on administrative leave, which is standard procedure after an officer-involved shooting.