NORTH PLATTE — A grand jury will be called to review a 52-year-old North Platte man’s shooting death early Wednesday after firefighters responded to an apparent arson fire at his house.
Interim Police Chief Steve Reeves said a Lincoln County sheriff’s deputy fired the shot that killed Keith A. Hinrichsen, who owned the house at 710 S. Walnut St.
The fatal confrontation took place at Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens about 12:25 a.m., two minutes after North Platte firefighters were called to Hinrichsen’s house.
The two incidents “appear to be related,†Reeves said in a press release. The case “will be treated as an open, ongoing matter until all evidence and relevant material has been presented to a grand jury.â€
Nebraska law requires that a grand jury review all cases in which someone dies in jail or police custody.
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After firefighters put out the fire at Hinrichsen’s house, investigators found evidence it was deliberately set, Reeves said. State and local fire marshals and North Platte police are investigating.
The interim chief said the sheriff’s deputy had responded to a suspicious vehicle at Floral Lawns. The cemetery sits along South Dodge Hill Road between North Platte and Lake Maloney.
The deputy radioed for emergency assistance shortly afterward, saying shots had been fired, Reeves said.
Other deputies, North Platte police officers and Nebraska State Patrol troopers responded to the cemetery.
A preliminary investigation indicates Hinrichsen left his vehicle, “pointed a firearm in the direction of the deputy and refused commands to drop the firearm,†Reeves said.
Hinrichsen was pronounced dead at the scene, he added. The Sheriff’s Office and Police Department continue to investigate under the direction of County Attorney Rebecca Harling.