A Sarpy County man is facing five felony charges after authorities say he chased three teenagers riding electric dirt bikes off-road near 205th and Harrison Streets in early September, running one of them over before fleeing the scene. The arrest comes weeks after investigators first put out a call for help identifying the driver and his vehicle.
According to KETV, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said three teens were riding electric dirt bikes illegally near 205th and Harrison Streets when the confrontation began. Deputies say the driver of a Jeep honked at the teens and then followed them after they moved off the roadway, according to the same report. The teenagers tried to get away by jumping a curb and riding into a field, but the driver allegedly pursued them off-road regardless.
One Boy Run Over, Another Chased Through a Field
One of the teens fell from his bike and was run over by the driver, who then kept chasing a second boy before eventually leaving the scene, according to dcpostgazette.com. The outlet reported that the injured boy was transported by a rescue unit to a hospital with a non-life-threatening leg injury, citing the sheriff's office. KETV's earlier reporting described the teen's injuries as critical, while the Post-Gazette described them as non-life-threatening.
3 News Now reported that the riders were 14, 12 and 10 years old. KETV reported investigators described the vehicle involved as a newer-model, black, four-door Jeep. dcpostgazette.com's account identified the vehicle more specifically as a black four-door Jeep Rubicon 392.
Arrest Made Weeks Later in Sarpy County
Bradley Cooper, a 49-year-old Sarpy County resident, was arrested outside his home, KETV reported. He now faces five felony charges, including second-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony, as well as tampering with evidence, per the station's reporting.
Under Nebraska law, the use of a firearm or other deadly weapon in the commission of a felony is not treated as a lesser-included offense of second-degree assault, according to the Nebraska Legislature's statute. Separately, the state's statute on tampering with physical evidence classifies the offense as a Class IV felony, subject to certain exceptions outlined in the law, per the Nebraska Legislature.
A Growing Local Problem With Electric Dirt Bikes
The incident lands amid a broader push by Douglas County officials to crack down on high-powered electric dirt bikes, which the sheriff's office says are not legally permitted on public roads, sidewalks, bike paths or shared-use trails. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said in June 2026 that county commissioners were considering a new ordinance to address the vehicles, as calls for service involving them rise alongside community concern.
The sheriff's office has said emergency-room personnel are seeing a growing number of serious injuries involving young riders, and that many of the riders contacted during recent enforcement efforts were between 12 and 14 years old.
Other Omaha-area communities have already moved to restrict the vehicles. Bellevue banned electric dirt bikes and scooters from the road in July, per dcpostgazette.com. In Bennington, officials said educating kids and parents about electric dirt bikes became a priority after a fatal accident earlier in the summer, according to 3newsnow.com.
