Lincoln man punched stepdad, broke his nose, eye sockets, police allege

A 28-year-old Lincoln man is in jail after he allegedly attacked his stepdad earlier this month, breaking the 49-year-old's nose and both eye sockets, causing "potentially ... lasting effects," police said in court records.

Scott Sanders had been hanging out at his mom's apartment, near 16th and E streets, at around 6:30 p.m. May 10 when he and his stepdad got in an argument over Sanders being disrespectful to his mom and stepdad, Lincoln Police Officer Brian Gruber said in the probable cause statement for his arrest.

Sanders

The argument soon turned physical.

Sanders is accused of punching the 49-year-old once in the face, knocking him to the ground, before striking him three more times, Gruber alleged in the statement.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews took Sanders' stepdad to CHI Health St. Elizabeth. He was later taken to CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha due to the extent of his facial injuries, Gruber said.

The 49-year-old initially told police he didn't want to pursue criminal charges against his stepson, but after he underwent surgery and had metal plates installed near his eye sockets due to the severity of his injuries, he changed his mind, Gruber said.

Police arrested Sanders early Wednesday morning at the People's City Mission and took him to the Lancaster County jail.

And prosecutors on Wednesday charged him with first-degree assault, punishable by up to 50 years in prison.

See how your hometown ranks among the most dangerous cities in Nebraska. Ratings have been determined according to the number of violent crimes per 1,000 people in cities of at least 10,000, with violent crime being classified as murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. The numbers are for 2019, the most recent year for which the FBI provides data.

With 30 violent crimes in 2019 and a population of 12,771 (the smallest on our list), the city in northeast Nebraska had 2.35 violent crimes per 1,000 people.

Photo: An RV park in South Sioux City on the Missouri River.

The city of 15,862 had 53 violent crimes for a rate of 3.34 per 1,000 in 2019.

Photo: Gering Police Officer Jordan McBride talks with Scottsbluff Police Officer Michael Modeac as he puts up crime scene tape at the scene of an armed standoff in Scottsbluff in June 2021.

With a population of 23,705 and 89 violent crimes, the city had a rate of 3.75 per 1,000.

Photo: Union Pacific train engines line up outside a service building in North Platte.

The Star City had a population of 291,128 with 1,115 violent crimes, a rate of 3.83 per 1,000.

Photo: Police in Lincoln investigate a shooting near the intersection of 14th and E streets in August 2019.

With a population of 51,821 and 236 violent crimes, the largest of the Tri Cities had a 2019 rate of 4.55 per 1,000 people.

Photo: Grand Island police and State Patrol personnel investigate after a body was found in a Grand Island yard in August 2020.

In 2019, the state's largest city at 470,481 people had 2,833 violent crimes for a rate of 6.13 per 1,000.

Photo: Omaha police and University Police guard the entrance to the Nebraska Medicine Emergency room after an Omaha police officer was shot at Westroads Mall in March 2021.

With eight violent crimes in 2019, Boys Town topped the state at 13.82 per 1,000 people, which is a misleading stat because it only had a 2019 population of 579.

Photo: The statue at the entrance to Boys Town. It doesn't take much to skew the numbers.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or [email protected]. On Twitter @andrewwegley

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A Kansas City, Missouri, native, Andrew Wegley joined the Journal Star as breaking news reporter after graduating from Northwest Missouri State University in May 2021.

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