Family sues Nebraska police over fatal shooting of depressed teenager

(CN) — The family of a 17-year-old who was shot by Columbus, Nebraska, police nine times in his home sued the city and individual police officers in federal court on Tuesday.

Cory and Cheryl Ditter accuse an in-school police officer of unnecessarily escalating an encounter with their son, leading another police officer to shoot the teenager, killing him.

“We miss Chase,” Cory Ditter said in an emailed statement. “We wish police would have let me console him rather than intruding into our home. We hope this case will bring accountability and justice.”

The family names the city and two individual police officers, Jodi Hefti and Kyle Blunck, as defendants.

According to the Ditters, Chase was a strong student who planned to study cybersecurity at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He also suffered from depression that sometimes manifested in suicidal thoughts and emotional distress.

Cory Ditter had experience calming his son and had proven as much to Hefter, the in-school police officer defendant, following a 2023 incident in which Chase raised concerns of self-harm.

On Feb. 6, 2024, Chase left school early after an emotionally distressing interaction with a teacher, the family says. Hefti followed Chase on his way home despite the teenager requesting to be left alone, according to the family.

The family claims that instead of trying to help or check in on Chase’s mental state, Hefti started to escalate the encounter, reportedly telling Chase “you better not hit me with that or you’ll be in trouble” when the teenager’s bookbag swung away from his shoulder as he turned to face the officer.

The family says Hefti never mentioned that Chase was experiencing a mental health crisis when she called for backup or that she continued to pursue him despite his request otherwise.

Cory Ditter met his son when he arrived home, but Hefti didn’t leave the scene despite the father’s pleading, according to the family.

The family says Hefti and another responding officer followed Cory Ditter into the house even though he verbally told them to stop. Inside, Chase had grabbed a knife and held it next to him.

“When Hefti and Levander entered the home, they observed a depressed teenager standing next to his father and holding a kitchen knife. The father was calm, attempting to console Chase, his son,” the family says in the complaint. “Chase demonstrated no hostility toward his father.”

Officer Blunck entered the home as Hefti aimed her taser at Chase while demanding that he drop the knife, according to the Ditters.

Hefti fired the taser, hitting both Cory and Chase. As his father started to fall on the ground and Chase began moving toward him, Blunck fired his revolver at Chase multiple times, according to the family.

“​​Chase was shot dead within 30 seconds of officers unlawfully entering the home,” the family says.

The family says Chase’s mental health never caused him to pose physical harm to anyone other than himself, and he had never been disciplined or suspended from school.

“While we all respect the dangers faced by police, there comes a time when responding officers should have the courage to help, to de-escalate, rather than immediately turn to the ‘comply or die’ approach that all too often ends with injustice and death.” Adam Sipple, an attorney representing the family, said in a statement.

In 2024, following an investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol, a grand jury declined to bring charges against Hefti and Blunck.

The family initially submitted a tort claim to the city in early 2025, seeking $2 million, but withdrew the claim after the city failed to respond.

The defendants did not immediately respond to a request for comment.