A former Nebraska state trooper indicted last month in connection to a 2016 stop where he was caught on video hitting a drunk driver with the butt of his service rifle made his first appearance on the charge Friday.Â
Lindsey Bixby of Ellsworth, who resigned from the State Patrol a few months after the incident, now is accused of deprivation of rights under color of law.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $250,000.
Bixby pleaded not guilty Friday at a 10-minute hearing in U.S. District Court in Omaha. He hasn't yet been set for trial.Â
On March 4, 2016, Bixby pursued a Colorado man in a high-speed chase that ended in Sioux County. After the driver left his van, he refused to comply with troopers' orders to get on the ground.
Video then showed Bixby swing his patrol-issued rifle and connect with the driver's head, dropping him to the ground. Bixby then handcuffed the driver, who was later sentenced to two years' probation after pleading guilty to a pair of misdemeanors related to the pursuit.
People are also reading…
Sioux County prosecutors declined to press charges against Bixby after they reviewed the arrest. But Gov. Pete Ricketts cited the internal handling of the case — which didn't become public knowledge for more than a year — among others, as a reason he fired Col. Brad Rice as superintendent in October 2017.