Merrick County Sheriff Captain Continues To Recover
(Merrick Co, NE) - The Merrick County Sherriff Office has provided an update after an incident occurred leaving Captain Jake Bauer injured on duty on August, 26th after he attempted to apprehend a fleeing suspect on foot and fell down an embankment and sustained serious non-life threatening injuries to his (right) knee, leg, and (left) elbow and wrist. He was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Grand Island, Nebraska immediately following the accident and then later to a trauma facility in Omaha, Nebraska.
Once he arrived in Omaha, it was decided he would be unable to have the surgery due to the swelling of the injuries he sustained. The trauma team made the decision that Jake would need to undergo an intense pain management plan until the surgery is available.
On September 4th, the surgery was administered for several hours and was successful. It was not until after the surgery that it was discovered that the pain blocker given was unsuccessful and an alternative pain management plan was administered. During this time, Jake developed multiple ileus requiring an NG tube to be placed to help reduce abdominal distention, in addition, several small blood clots were discovered in his lungs, and there was a need to increase his oxygen. All of these issues are stable and will be resolved with medication. Tentatively, the plan is for Captain Bauer to receive rehabilitation services either on an inpatient or outpatient basis, and that discussion is being made with the team of doctors dedicated to his recovery.
The hope is that Captain Bauer will return to work in a couple of months, however; Bauer is not expected to be fully released back to full duty for several months. He has a long road to recovery, although his optimistic attitude and determination, and has already demonstrated his desire to succeed through this process.