Police Officer Suspended, Charged with DUI and Assault

Officer Austin Espinoza, as shown on the Police Department’s Twitter Account

Lincoln, NE (October 12, 2020) Just three months ago, Lincoln Police Officer Austin Espinoza was cited as a hero. Today, he’s been suspended without pay and charged with two misdemeanors.

A statement released today by Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister described what happened:

“On October 11, 2020, at approximately 2:30 a.m., officers with the Lincoln Police Department were dispatched to the parking lot of Grata Bar and Lounge at 6891 A Street on a report of an assault that had just occurred. As officers were responding, they were advised that the reporting party was off-duty Lincoln police officer Austin Espinoza. LPD supervisors responded to oversee the investigation.

During the investigation, officers learned that Espinoza was involved in an argument with a man and woman who were family acquaintances. Espinoza reported being assaulted by the man and the woman reported being assaulted by Espinoza. These assaults occurred while Espinoza was seated in his vehicle. Both reported minor injuries, neither of which required medical attention. Officers completed detailed interviews with witnesses about the assault.

As officers spoke with Espinoza, they developed reason to believe that he was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. Espinoza submitted to Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and a preliminary breath test, both of which he failed. Officers transported Espinoza to The Bridge where they conducted an official chemical test. The result showed an alcohol concentration of .112 grams of alcohol/210 liters of breath. Officers cited Espinoza for Driving under the Influence and Assault, both misdemeanors. “

Espinoza has been with LPD just over two years.

On July 2nd of this year, just before 10:00 P.M., barely over three months ago, Espinoza was on duty and just finishing another call when he saw a man jump from a bridge onto Interstate 80. He was credited with stopping his cruiser on the bridge, shining his flashlight onto the man in the lanes below, and then running down an embankment to shield the man until medics arrived.

Espinoza was also congratulated on June 15, 2018, on the Police Department’s official Twitter Account for making a felony arrest on his first traffic stop on his first night on the streets.

In addition to the criminal investigation into the early Sunday morning, incident, LPD is also conducting an internal investigation concerning this incident.

Chief Bliemeister said in his statement that anyone wishing to review the “policy guiding our internal investigative process is available for review at Lincoln Police General Orders – Internal Investigations.”