By Marisa Dawson
A Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputy was shot and wounded Sunday morning while responding to a domestic disturbance call at 10372 Weber Court, authorities said. The suspect, identified late Sunday afternoon as 39-year-old Brian Huggins, died after sustaining a gunshot wound inside the apartment complex hallway.
According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office press release and a press conference held by Sheriff Aaron Hanson, the incident began at 11:49 a.m. when a 911 caller reported that her ex-boyfriend was breaking into her apartment. A second call at 11:51 a.m. confirmed the suspect remained on scene. The first deputy arrived at 11:58 a.m. and was immediately fired upon by the suspect, who struck the deputy multiple times.
The injured deputy issued a “help an officer” call. Multiple Douglas County deputies and Omaha Police Department officers responded within minutes. Bennington Fire & Rescue was called to the scene for mutual aid, along with assistance from other agencies including Irvington. OPD officers located the wounded deputy and transported him by cruiser to Bergan Mercy for emergency treatment. The deputy remained in stable condition this afternoon and was undergoing surgery.
After shooting the deputy, Huggins retreated into the apartment. A coordinated team of DCSO deputies and OPD officers made entry into the building and located Huggins in the hallway of the apartment complex with a gunshot wound. He was transported by squad to an emergency room, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Sheriff Hanson said it is not clear how Huggins sustained his fatal gunshot injury, though early indications are that it occurred inside the apartment hallway before the entry team reached him. “It is not clear how that suspect suffered that gunshot wound,” Hanson stated during the press conference.
The sheriff extended condolences to Huggins’ family and thanked the Omaha Police Department for its rapid response. “Their quick response helped keep our deputies and community safe,” he said. He also noted that OPD officers showed tactical awareness by transporting the deputy by cruiser due to the nature of the injuries.
Blair High Road was temporarily closed from State Street to 103rd Street (southbound) to allow emergency crews to work safely.
Hanson said the apartment complex had only recently opened after construction and that he was not aware of any prior call history at the address. The initial shots were fired on the south side of the building, while broken windows and a glass door on the north side were damaged by responding deputies to gain access to the injured suspect, he added.
At least one person, the 911 caller, was believed to have been inside the apartment at the time of the initial disturbance. Multiple witnesses were being interviewed this afternoon, and investigators were reviewing body-camera and cruiser video from both DCSO and OPD units.
“Domestic disturbance calls are one of the most dangerous things that a law enforcement officer will respond to,” Hanson said. “This was a domestic violence type call.”
The scene was secured by early afternoon for evidence preservation. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office described the investigation as active and ongoing, with additional information to be released as it becomes available.
