Adrian Muniz Death – The Nebraska State Patrol reported that a passenger in a stolen vehicle brandished a weapon before being shot and killed by Chadron Police officers on Friday. The encounter occurred at the gas pump area of a business near the intersection of Highway 385 and Highway 20 in Chadron, where the stolen Chevrolet Malibu was spotted. The vehicle had been reported stolen from Colorado the previous week.
During the interaction with the driver, the passenger, identified as 40-year-old Adrian Muniz of Greeley, Colo., produced a weapon. Multiple officers discharged their duty weapons, resulting in the passenger being struck. Muniz was then taken to Chadron Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The driver of the stolen vehicle, 34-year-old Rosalinda Aguilera of Greeley, Colo., was unharmed during the incident. She was arrested for theft by receiving stolen property exceeding $5,000 and on a warrant from Colorado. Muniz also had an outstanding warrant from Colorado. Subsequent to the event, investigators discovered methamphetamine in the vehicle.
Following the incident, the Chadron Police Department requested the NSP to investigate. The NSP Special Investigations Team is leading the investigation in compliance with Nebraska Statute, which mandates a grand jury investigation for in-custody deaths.