A case delayed for about a year appears to be back on track in Dawson County District Court. Former Elwood resident Jeremy Bendler faces several charges related to alleged offenses in June of 2022. At his last hearing in May of 2023, Bendler was found competent to participate in proceedings of his cases. Defense Attorney Ken Harbison told District Judge Michael Piccolo on Friday that an evaluation has since been completed of Bendler’s state of mind at the time the alleged crimes were committed and asked that his client be arraigned.
The case stems from a Dawson County Sheriff’s Office investigation on June 19, 2022 into vandalism to a pickup at a rural Elwood residence. As deputies attempted to contact Bendler at the residence, he allegedly pointed a wrist rocket weapon at the deputies. An affidavit says that the deputies backed off the scene and later obtained Dawson County arrest and search warrants.
Several deputies returned to the residence two days later to serve the warrants. According to the affidavit, they entered the residence and located the suspect in a basement bedroom holding a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. The suspect discharged the gun several times before the deputies could get it safely out of the suspect’s hand and were able to get him into custody after a struggle. A taser was also used during the struggle. A deputy received cuts to their hand from the knife in the incident and was later medically treated with stitches.
Bendler’s charges include 2nd Degree Assault on an Officer, 2 counts of Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony, 2nd offense of Resisting Arrest, Terroristic Threats and Criminal Mischief.
Attorney Claude Berreckman, Jr was appointed to serve as Bendler’s Guardian Ad Litem. He told the court Friday, he advised that Bendler’s best interest was to plead not guilty by reason of insanity to the charges but, acknowledged Bendler’s wishes against that. Judge Piccolo arraigned the 38-year-old Bendler. Bendler then pleaded not guilty to all the charges as they were read to him. A status hearing in the case has been set for June 14, 2024 at 9:30am. He remains in the custody of Nebraska Department of Correctional Services at the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln. His $250,000 percentage bond was continued.
