Former Seward County deputy found not guilty of manslaughter
A former Seward County deputy was found not guilty of manslaughter in connection to the 2023 killing of a Hastings man on Friday
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A former Seward County deputy was found not guilty of manslaughter in connection to the 2023 killing of a Hastings man on Friday.
Prosecutors accused Anthony Gann of unlawfully killing 43-year-old Jorge Luis Santana-Ramirez on Oct. 23, 2023, following a high-speed pursuit. After about two and a half hours of deliberation, a jury acquitted Gann of the crime.
On Oct. 23, 2023, Santana-Ramirez fled a police stop while driving the wrong way down I-80 at speeds exceeding 100 mph. The defense noted that the vehicle had been recognized during a previous traffic stop on Sept. 18, 2023, when Santana-Ramirez also fled.
The defense’s account of events indicated that once the pursuit ended, Gann spotted an unknown weapon, later identified as a knife, in Santana-Ramirez’s hand. Gann ordered Santana-Ramirez to show his hands, which he reportedly refused to do. Gann then opened fire, killing Santana-Ramirez.
The prosecution presented video evidence showing a different sequence: Gann fired into the back of the car, paused, then approached and continued shooting into the vehicle.
A toxicology report also noted that Santana-Ramirez tested positive for methamphetamine. An autopsy concluded his cause of death was six penetrating wounds identified as lethal shots.
Court records indicate that 35 rounds were fired during the incident, all by Gann. The state said Gann fired 18 times initially, reloaded, and then fired again. Chase Parmer, the responding officer who arrived after Gann, did not fire his weapon.
The defense argued the shooting was justified as self-defense, contending that Gann faced an armed threat that necessitated deadly force.
The prosecution countered that video evidence showed Gann fired at the back of the vehicle before approaching and continuing to shoot into it, undermining a self-defense claim.