The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office is providing an updated media release stemming from an incident that previously occurred during the evening hours of Monday, April 8th, 2024, as additional information has become available.
On April 8th, 2024, at approximately 8:47pm, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office was advised to watch for a Toyota Camry holding a specific Indiana license plate that was possibly traveling westbound on Interstate 80 in Dawson County, Nebraska. Chief Deputy Dawson County Sheriff Edd Albrecht says the vehicle was reportedly occupied by Linden M. Long, 22, of Wisconsin, who had an active federal felony arrest warrant for Bank Robbery and was listed as possibly armed and dangerous. Dawson County deputies located the vehicle and conducted a felony traffic stop where the vehicle came to rest at the westbound Gothenburg Interstate 80 offramp.
The deputies found that the driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle, later identified as being Long, was non-compliant with verbal commands and refused to exit the vehicle. Negotiations with Long were initiated, however he fled the interchange in the vehicle and proceeded to the 300 block of Platte River Road in Gothenburg where the vehicle came to a stop at a dead end. Deputies exited their patrol units when they heard a single gunshot that came from the inside of the vehicle occupied by Long. The vehicle then aggressively accelerated through a metal panel marking the end of the road and came to rest after striking a tree.
Emergency Medical Services were contacted and placed on standby until the vehicle could be cleared by law enforcement. It was then found by law enforcement on scene that Long suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and a firearm was also discovered inside the vehicle. He was transported by Gothenburg Fire/Rescue Department to the Gothenburg Memorial Hospital where he was later transferred to CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. South Central Area Law Enforcement Services was contacted by the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office to investigate further. Long passed away on Saturday, April 13th, 2024, while at CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
A Grand Jury will be convened at a future date that has not yet been determined by the Dawson County Attorney’s Office with regards to this incident
The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Nebraska State Patrol, Gothenburg Police Department, Gothenburg Fire/Rescue Department, and Dawson County Emergency Management.
