Two Cities, Two Deaths, One Demand: Truth and Accountability from Law Enforcement

In Lincoln, Nebraska, a man in his 40s experiencing a mental health crisis died by suicide while in police custody. Officers responded to a disturbance call on November 9, 2025, finding the man attempting to enter a home through a basement window. He was arrested, searched, and placed in the back of a police cruiser. Yet somehow, while officers were distracted interviewing witnesses, the man managed to move his hands to the front of his body, retrieve a hidden firearm from his pants, and fatally shoot himself.

This raises serious questions. How did a man in crisis, supposedly searched and restrained, manage to access a weapon? Why were his hands not cuffed behind his back, as standard protocol demands? And how could officers miss a firearm during a search?

The Lincoln Police Department claims the man was able to shift his handcuffs and access the gun, but the public deserves more than vague explanations. This incident doesn’t add up—and it shouldn’t be swept under the rug. The department must come clean, release bodycam footage, and explain how such a catastrophic failure in procedure occurred.

Meanwhile, in Kinston, North Carolina, residents are still waiting for answers in the fatal police shooting of 72-year-old Thomas Burney. On July 20, 2025, officers responded to a domestic violence call on Manchester Road. Burney, reportedly armed and threatening a woman, was shot and killed by police at the scene. The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) was called in, but months later, the community has yet to receive a public update.

Why the silence? Why hasn’t the Kinston Police Department or the SBI provided transparency about the investigation’s progress or findings? The lack of communication only deepens mistrust and fuels speculation.

These two cases—one a suicide in custody, the other a fatal shooting—underscore a troubling pattern: when mental health crises intersect with law enforcement, the outcomes are too often fatal, and the accountability too often absent.

It’s time for both Lincoln and Kinston police departments to stop hiding behind internal reviews and procedural jargon. The public deserves the truth. The families deserve closure. And our communities deserve better.

Our deepest condolences go out to the families affected by these tragedies. No one should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one under such uncertain and distressing circumstances. We hold space for their grief and extend our prayers that the unanswered questions are met with truth, and that justice — if warranted — is served with integrity and transparency. May these families find strength, and may their calls for accountability not go unheard.

It’s time for both Lincoln and Kinston police departments to stop hiding behind internal reviews and procedural jargon. The public deserves the truth. The families deserve closure. And our communities deserve better.

Written and inspired by Quarla Blackwell