- Steven Phipps Jr. was fatally shot by police after fleeing a traffic stop and allegedly pulling a gun; the officer's actions were later ruled justified.
- The Phipps' family, led by his aunt Angela, is launching community courses to raise awareness about legal rights and safe police interactions.
The free sessions, starting May 23 in north Omaha, will include guidance from police and attorneys, focusing on traffic stops, rights, and vehicle compliance.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
On September 28, 2024, a routine traffic stop near 31st and Taylor took a tragic turn. Steven Phipps Jr. fled from police, and as he attempted to jump a fence, officers say he pulled a gun. Officer Noah Zendejas fired eight shots, fatally striking Phipps. Now, his family is channeling their grief into action.
"Just saving lives, hopefully in the long run," said Angela Phipps, Steven’s aunt.
She believes that a lack of knowledge about legal rights and how to interact with police can prove deadly — and she wants to ensure others don’t suffer the same fate.
"That it can happen, what happen to him could happen to anyone that who is misinformed, it can be anyone in that situation— so overall, I just want to bring awareness to those who may not think they need it,” said Phipps.
The Phipps family is partnering with community advocate Leo Louis II to launch a series of free public courses focused on legal rights during police encounters.
"Such as rolling your window down when your pulled over by a police officer— actually handing over your identification when they ask for it," said Leo Louis II.
The first course is scheduled for May 23 at the Essential Gathering Place on North 42nd Street in North Omaha. The sessions will include presentations from Omaha Police on how traffic stops are conducted, attorneys explaining individual rights, and guidance on registration and vehicle tags.
"Oftentimes in our communities, there aren't attorneys, aren't a lot of police, there aren't a lot of people who work in the system at all," said Wardlow, an attorney.
SirWayne Wardlow says fear doesn’t have to define the relationship between community members and law enforcement.
"I'm mean if you were born and raised in north Omaha, you're going to have family and friends that may have had interacted with the system in a negative way right, so those become out perspective unfortunately,” said Wardlow.
"I am thankful of everyone in keeping my nephew’s memory alive.. that was the biggest thing for me, just not allowing him to die in vain," said Phipps.
In October, District Attorney Don Kleine ruled the officer’s actions were justified. The case remains under grand jury review, as required by Nebraska law.
