LPD Releases Names of Officers Involved in Tuesday Morning Shooting

Lincoln Police investigators remained at the scene of an officer-involved shooting hours that happened hours before that the Arrow Bus Depot near 52nd and Superior on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. (Jeff Motz/KFOR News)

LINCOLN–(KFOR Oct. 20)–There is new information into the investigation of the officer involved shooting from early Tuesday morning at the Arrow Bus Depot near 52nd and Superior.

On Friday, acting Lincoln Police Chief Michon Morrow released the names of the officers involved as two-year LPD veteran Kirby Urbanek and eight-year veteran Officer Kate Schwenke.

Officer Kate Schwenke (Courtesy of Lincoln Police).

Urbanek was stabbed in the neck allegedly by 27-year-old Simon Kafka of Chicago, who was uncooperative by not getting off a bus because he didn’t have enough money for a ticket. Kafka was then wounded when Officer Schwenke fired her gun.

Officer Kirby Urbanek. (Courtesy of Lincoln Police)

Schwenke and Urbanek are on paid administrative leave for the officer-involved shooting. Urbanek was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon and is recovering from his stab wound.

Schwenke is out of the hospital from her injuries suffered after getting hit by a car while responding off-duty to an initial crash at Highway 43 and Saltillo Road on Wednesday night. The other LPD officer that offered aid in that crash, Brent Lovett, remains hospitalized with serious but not life-threatening injuries.