LINCOLN, Neb. – A man in Nebraska recklessly operating a Bobcat skid loader damaged several vehicles Sunday in a southeast Lincoln parking lot. One of the damaged vehicles was an occupied patrol unit, according to law enforcement authorities.
Samuel Peyrot, 36, was identified as the driver of the skid loader. He faces charges that include second-degree assault on an officer, second-degree assault and criminal mischief, KLKN-TV reported.
Officers with the Lincoln Police Department were dispatched to a U-Stop gas station at about 2:30 p.m. on Sunday after a complaint was made about a person recklessly operating the Bobcat and damaging vehicles in the parking lot by driving a skid loader into them.
The operator of the loader was then reported to be damaging vehicles in the nearby parking lot of a Home Depot, according to the Western Journal.
Video posted to social media platform X showed the Bobcat smashing into a Lincoln patrol unit that was occupied by a responding officer at the time it was jolted sideways.
Just the average Home Depot experience. pic.twitter.com/qQGrnblbzG
— Jeff McRichards (@JeffMcRichards) January 14, 2024
After the impact, the officer exited the vehicle and drew his weapon while ordering the suspect to surrender. The man halted operation of the skid loader and gave up without further violence, KOLN-TV reported.
Samuel Peyrot (Lancaster County Department of Corrections)
According to police, several vehicles sustained damage and one person in a truck was injured. Moreover, two businesses also reported damages from the incident.
The skid loader was owned by Peyrot’s employer. He had taken it to the gas station in a company-owned truck with a trailer, police said.
It’s unclear what motivated his actions.
