Scottsbluff police investigating assault possibly linked to vehicle pursuit

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. — Authorities in Scottsbluff are investigating a possible connection between a serious assault and a high-speed vehicle pursuit that occurred late Monday night.

According to Scottsbluff Police, officers responded to a report of a 15-year-old boy with a life-threatening chest wound around 10:25 p.m. The assault is believed to have occurred in the area of 5th Avenue and East Overland. The victim’s identity has not been released, and police are urging anyone with security footage from the area to contact them at 308-632-7176.

Around the same time, troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol, along with Scottsbluff police and the Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office, were involved in a pursuit of a stolen vehicle in the city. At approximately 10:10 p.m., a trooper attempted a traffic stop on a Mercury Mariner reported stolen. The driver fled, leading authorities on a chase through residential streets, during which multiple stop signs were ignored.

The pursuit ended when the vehicle crashed into a tree at 14th Street and 4th Avenue. Two occupants fled on foot, while a third remained at the scene and was taken into custody without incident. The driver, a 15-year-old male, was apprehended shortly afterward by Scottsbluff police. He was transported to Regional West Medical Center for medical evaluation before being cited for theft by receiving stolen property over $5,000, flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, resisting arrest, minor in possession of alcohol and other charges. He was released to juvenile probation.

Police are investigating whether the pursuit and the assault are connected.

Additionally, a video circulating on Facebook shows a foot pursuit involving one of the suspects from the vehicle chase. Scottsbluff police clarified the individual in the foot pursuit, a juvenile suspect, is not the assault victim. The suspect sustained minor injuries during apprehension and was transported to Regional West Medical Center for treatment. He was later turned over to NSP and placed in juvenile detention.

The investigation into both incidents remains ongoing. Police are encouraging anyone with information or footage related to the assault or the pursuit to come forward.