News Chanel Nebraska has learned that an investigation into politically charged police dash-camera video is over, and we don’t know any more now than we knew before.

Just days ahead of the November election, the Omaha Police Department said the video—their video— was stolen, launching a probe by the Nebraska State Patrol.

[View our full video report above, including controversial dash-camera video]

The video, published by Flatwater Free Press and the Reader, became part of the final days of the 2022 race for Douglas County Sheriff between former OPD Deputy Chief Greg Gonzalez, and OPD Sergeant Aaron Hanson.

Hanson, a Republican, narrowly defeated Gonzalez, a Democrat.  

Flatwater’s October 18 report revolved around accusations that Hanson used excessive force on an “already-handcuffed” Omaha man during a 2017 traffic stop.

Flatwater described the key moment caught on camera: “At the video’s seven-minute mark, the handcuffed person tries to stand. An officer physically stops him. ‘You’re in my hood,’ the handcuffed person says to Hanson. Then the police sergeant knees him in the leg and watches him crumple on the ground.”

Flatwater also reported that Gonzalez said, “Using force on someone in handcuffs, it’s a rarity. The only time that’s justified is if you’re actively fighting.”

On November 3, five days before the election OPD issued a news release noting that Hanson’s “actions were ultimately found to be within policy.”

And OPD went on to state that any employee who “secretly” took possession of the video violated department policy.

Not long before issuing the news release, OPD asked the State Patrol to investigate a potential “theft of property” case.

A spokesman for the patrol now telling NCN the case is over.

NSP: That investigation was administratively closed due to the statute of limitations.

NCN: Just to be clear it went unsolved, right?

NSP: Correct. NSP’s investigation was closed because no charges would have been possible based on the statute of limitations.

By the way, according to that OPD news release the stolen video was more than a rarity: “It is important to note that OPD’s Safety Review Board reviews around 300 use of force incidents a year (anything from a low level arm bar to taser deployments) and the only video that was stolen from our possession that we are aware of is this specific video.”