Tennessee man arrested after multi-county aerial pursuit

Press release

OMAHA, Neb. — A multi-agency effort led to the arrest of a Tennessee man following a lengthy pursuit in eastern Nebraska on Saturday.

At approximately 6:55 p.m., a Nebraska State Patrol trooper attempted to stop a Ford Fusion for failing to stop at a stop sign near Gretna. The driver refused to yield and accelerated north on Highway 6 through Gretna, prompting the trooper to initiate a pursuit.

The Omaha Police Department helicopter, Able-1, was in the area and assumed aerial surveillance while ground units discontinued the chase. Pilots tracked the vehicle as it continued north on Highway 6, then turned west onto West Q Road and proceeded west on Highway 92 into Saunders County.

The pursuit lasted more than an hour, spanning Saunders and Lancaster counties. The Nebraska State Patrol AirWing later assumed aerial tracking as the vehicle traveled south on Highway 79 toward Lincoln. Deputies with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office successfully deployed stop sticks on Highway 79 just north of Highway 34, bringing the vehicle to a stop. The driver was taken into custody without further incident.

Juan Avant, 42, of Memphis, Tennessee, was arrested on suspicion of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, tampering with physical evidence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was lodged in the Sarpy County Jail.

The Nebraska State Patrol was assisted by the Omaha Police Department, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and the Saunders County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.