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Grand jury clears officer, provides new details about Chick-fil-A fatal shooting

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A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

Editor's Pick Alert Top Story

A SPECIAL REPORT

Grand jury clears officer, provides new details about Chick-fil-A fatal shooting

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Cimino grand jury transcript

A page from the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript showing an exhibit photo of Cimino's truck, which he backed into a south Lincoln Chick-fil-A after a disturbance inside the restaurant.

Frame grab

A week before Joseph Cimino stormed into a Chick-fil-A restaurant and died in an officer-involved shooting, the newcomer to Lincoln posted a series of videos to YouTube.

The cover of the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript, which is open to the public thanks to a state law that went into effect in 2016.

A page from the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript showing an exhibit photo of the inside of his medicine cabinet. 

A page from the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript showing an exhibit photo of the stun baton Cimino carried and threatened a BNSF law officer with following a disturbance at a south Lincoln restaurant.

A page from the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript showing an exhibit photo of the scene at a south Lincoln Chick-fil-A after Cimino backed his truck into the restaurant following a disturbance.

Joseph Cimino opened a Twitter account the day he backed his pickup into a Chick-fil-A restaurant and was later shot and killed by an officer.

The cover of the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript, which is open to the public thanks to a state law that went into effect in 2016.

The scene at the Chick-fil-A at SouthPointe Pavilions on Oct. 8, 2019, after Joseph Cimino backed his truck into the restaurant and was shot and killed by a BNSF Railway officer.

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Lori Pilger | Lincoln Journal Star

A couple of months after Joseph Cimino backed his pickup truck into a south Lincoln Chick-fil-A at lunchtime, a group of regular citizens headed to the courthouse to examine his shooting death by a BNSF Railway officer.

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About this project: Shining a spotlight

Every year, Sunshine Week in mid-March celebrates open government or shines a light on government secrecy. Journalists from across the country…

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Nebraska counties inconsistent on providing record of grand jury findings

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Watch: Cimino grand jury video

Watch a grand jury surveillance video from the Joseph Cimino case. 

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First challenge of grand jury law came after Omaha officers charged in death

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Grand jury's recommendations for changes not always shared

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Photos: A look at Cimino's grand jury transcript, online footprint

Cimino grand jury transcript

A page from the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript showing an exhibit photo of the scene at a south Lincoln Chick-fil-A after Cimino backed his truck into the restaurant following a disturbance.

GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Cimino grand jury transcript

The cover of the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript, which is open to the public thanks to a state law that went into effect in 2016.

GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Cimino grand jury transcript

A page from the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript showing an exhibit photo of the inside of his medicine cabinet. 

GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Cimino grand jury transcript

The cover of the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript, which is open to the public thanks to a state law that went into effect in 2016.

GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Cimino grand jury transcript

A page from the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript showing an exhibit photo of the stun baton Cimino carried and threatened a BNSF law officer with following a disturbance at a south Lincoln restaurant.

GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

Joseph Cimino on Twitter

Joseph Cimino opened a Twitter account the day he backed his pickup into a Chick-fil-A restaurant and was later shot and killed by an officer.

Frame grab

A week before Joseph Cimino stormed into a Chick-fil-A restaurant and died in an officer-involved shooting, the newcomer to Lincoln posted a series of videos to YouTube.

YouTube

Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com.

On Twitter @LJSpilger

About this project

Every year, Sunshine Week in mid-March celebrates open government or shines a light on government secrecy. Journalists from across the country write stories to highlight transparency — or lack thereof — in their state or community.

Months ago, Journal Star reporters Chris Dunker and Lori Pilger launched a project to find out how Nebraska’s 93 counties were interpreting a state law passed in 2016 that required courts to allow public access to grand jury reports about police in-custody deaths, including transcripts and exhibits.

Stories in the project include how the grand jury ruled in a case involving a man shot to death after a disturbance at a Lincoln Chick-fil-A; how counties responded to the Journal Star’s requests; the efforts by some government officials to keep the records secret; and what happens to recommendations made by the grand juries for new policies or practices.

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Cimino grand jury transcript

A page from the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript showing an exhibit photo of Cimino's truck, which he backed into a south Lincoln Chick-fil-A after a disturbance inside the restaurant.

A week before Joseph Cimino stormed into a Chick-fil-A restaurant and died in an officer-involved shooting, the newcomer to Lincoln posted a series of videos to YouTube.

The cover of the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript, which is open to the public thanks to a state law that went into effect in 2016.

A page from the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript showing an exhibit photo of the inside of his medicine cabinet. 

A page from the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript showing an exhibit photo of the stun baton Cimino carried and threatened a BNSF law officer with following a disturbance at a south Lincoln restaurant.

A page from the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript showing an exhibit photo of the scene at a south Lincoln Chick-fil-A after Cimino backed his truck into the restaurant following a disturbance.

Joseph Cimino opened a Twitter account the day he backed his pickup into a Chick-fil-A restaurant and was later shot and killed by an officer.

The cover of the Joseph Cimino grand jury transcript, which is open to the public thanks to a state law that went into effect in 2016.

The scene at the Chick-fil-A at SouthPointe Pavilions on Oct. 8, 2019, after Joseph Cimino backed his truck into the restaurant and was shot and killed by a BNSF Railway officer.

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