Records: Man threatened trooper

Jose Huerta

Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 3:30 pm

By KIM SCHMIDT Hub Staff Writer | 0 comments

KEARNEY — A Kearney man is in jail after allegedly threatening a Nebraska State Patrol trooper.

Jose Huerta, 30, is charged in Buffalo County Court with felony terroristic threats against Paul Hazard. Huerta allegedly made threatening statements toward Hazard and his family.

Court records outline the case against Huerta:

Around 11 p.m. Feb. 26, Hazard had contact with Huerta, and Huerta told Hazard that if he did not stop arresting the big drug dealers that someone would hurt Hazard and his family. Hazard has a wife and two children.

Hazard and several other law enforcement officers have been active in investigating drug cases in Buffalo County.

Law enforcement officials believe Huerta has ties to Mexican drug organizations.

Huerta’s case is pending in Buffalo County District Court. No hearing date has been set. He is being held on a $5,000 cash or surety bond.

If convicted, Huerta faces up to five years in prison and a fine.

Hazard was one of four candidates that received the top votes for two seats on the Kearney City Council in Tuesday’s primary election and advanced to the November general election. He declined to comment on the specifics of the case, or whether it was a motivation for him running for office.


http://kearneyhub.com/news/local/articl ... 03286.html



Jose Huerta

Related: Records: Man threatened trooper. Posted: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 2:00 pm | Updated: 12:10 pm, Wed Sep 15, 2010.

By KIM SCHMIDT Hub Staff Writer | 0 comments

KEARNEY — A Kearney man who threatened a Nebraska State Patrol trooper and his family has been convicted of a misdemeanor in the incident.

Jose Huerta, 30, pleaded no contest earlier this month in Buffalo County District Court to third-degree assault for threatening Nebraska State Patrol Trooper Paul Hazard. Making a no-contest plea neither admits nor denies guilt, but the plea is treated the same as a guilty plea.

Deputy Buffalo County Attorney Mike Mefferd said the charge was reduced from a felony, making terroristic threats, to a misdemeanor because the assault charge better fit the crime.

“Based on the differences in the language of the two statutes, third-degree assault by threatening in a menacing manner was more accurate to the act Mr. Huerta engaged in than terroristic threat,â€