OMAHA, Neb. — A retired Omaha police lieutenant and candidate for sheriff found himself on the other side of the law Saturday when authorities said he was caught driving 42 mph over the speed limit on a Nebraska freeway.
According to The Associated Press, George Merithew, who is vying to become the Republican nominee for Douglas County sheriff, was headed to a Cinco de Mayo parade about 9 a.m. Saturday when he received a $300 ticket for driving 107 mph on Interstate 80, Omaha police said. The posted speed limit was 65 mph, the report said.
When the officer asked Merithew for his license and registration, the sheriff’s candidate provided the documents as well as his former police badge, according to the report.
In a statement, Merithew’s campaign said he provided the badge to let the officer know he was armed, the AP reported. The statement added that Merithew “will now exercise the same rights every other cictizen has to deal with the citation,” according to the news agency.
Merithew later told local radio station KFAB that he had been driving a borrowed BMW at the time, WOWT reported.
“It was a lot faster than I thought it would be,” he said, according to WOWT.
Merithew and Omaha police Sgt. Aaron Hanson will face off Tuesday in the Republican primary, the AP reported. The Republican nominee will go on to face the winner of the Democratic primary in the November election.
– The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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