Dawes County
GRAND JURY TO CONVENE NOV. 8 TO REVIEW CRAWFORD SHOOTING
By DOUBLE Q COUNTRY RADIO
Oct 23, 2007, 05:27

The Dawes County Grand Jury into the shooting death earlier this month of a Crawford teenager by Crawford Police Chief Rick Thompson will be held Thursday, November 8 in Chadron.

Dawes County Clerk of the District Court Sharon Harrison says notices went out Friday to 200 potential jurors, with some already responding. The rest have until Friday to contact Harrison.

16-year old Jesse Britton was shot and killed when Thompson and other officers responded to a report of a break-in at the vacant Frontier Bar about mid-morning on October 3rd.

Crawford police had received tips that Britton was responsible for a recent series of burglaries in Crawford, including some in which guns were taken.

Attorney General Jon Bruning has since said that the reports his office received on the incident stated that Britton was armed and had pointed a gun in the direction of the officers.

Nebraska law requires a grand jury with an outside prosecutor and 3 investigators be called anytime a death occurs in custody or with police involvement.

District Judge Brian Silverman named Morrill County Attorney Jean Rhoades as the special prosecutor, and she selected as her investigators Sheridan County Deputy Sheriff Scott DaCoste, Scottsbluff Police detective Mark Overman, and retired FBI agent Ron Rawalt of North Platte.

All three members of the Crawford police department were originally placed on administrative leave, with all but Chief Thompson returning to duty the next day. He will remain on administrative leave through the grand jury proceedings.

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