Williams v. City of Omaha
Annotate this CaseThis case arose from an automobile accident that occurred when the vehicle being driven by William Webster struck the vehicle being driven by Marcus Williams. Williams sued the City of Omaha, alleging that, at the time of the crash, Webster was fleeing to avoid apprehension by a police cruiser that was actively attempting to apprehend Webster. Therefore, Williams argued, the City was strictly liable for all of his damages under the pursuit statue, Neb. Rev. Stat. 13-911. The City argued that the pursuit statute did not apply because the officers intended only to stop the vehicle and not to “apprehend” Webster. The district court entered judgment in favor of Williams, finding that the City was strictly liable for Williams’ damages. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the district court did not err in concluding that the police officers made an active attempt to apprehend Webster prior to the collision; and (2) because the other requirements for a pursuit under Neb. Rev. Stat. 13-911 were satisfied, the officers’ pursuit of Webster was a proximate cause of the collision.
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