Sheriff says identity theft ring broken up, suspect shot

Authorities say they broke up an identity theft ring Wednesday, but only after a violent struggle in a downtown Omaha hotel hallway in which a suspect was shot in the chest and a sheriff's deputy was hit over the head with a vase.

Jason Galle, 32, of Omaha was taken to Creighton University Medical Center in critical condition from the gunshot wound. Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Mike Smith suffered about a 4-inch gash in the back of his head and also was taken to Creighton.

Smith was treated and released. Douglas County Sheriff Tim Dunning said Galle is expected to recover.

The incident unfolded as if from a movie script. According to Dunning:

Deputies Smith and Brenda Wheeler went to the Courtyard by Marriott, 10th and Dodge Streets, about 10 a.m. Wednesday after employees become suspicious of a couple who had checked in using what appeared to be a stolen credit card.

Smith, who has been with the Sheriff's Office 10 years, and Wheeler, a 16-year-veteran, headed to Room 416, where the couple were staying. As the two deputies left the elevator and headed down the hallway, they saw Galle and a 23-year-old pregnant woman coming out of the room.

Galle was carrying a rolled-up pair of blue jeans under his arm, and the woman was holding a black satchel.

Galle tried to hurry past the deputies and into the elevator, when Smith tried to stop him. As Galle pushed the deputy back, the jeans fell from his arm, and a .22-caliber pistol tumbled out.

The two men began to struggle while Wheeler took control of the woman, fearing that she, too, could be carrying a gun.

Smith then got one of Galle's wrists handcuffed, but Galle grabbed a heavy glass vase and smashed Smith across the back of the head.

Dunning said that by that time, the deputy was "fighting for his life'' and unholstered his Smith & Wesson 9 mm revolver.

Smith fired once, striking Galle in the chest.

Galle fell to the floor and curled up, bleeding so much that early reports indicated that he had been shot twice, once in the chest and once in the leg.

Smith was bleeding from the back of the head.

Deputies learned that Galle and the woman were headed to a room on the eighth floor where two other men were staying.

Additional deputies arrived at the hotel. Authorities headed to the eighth floor, where they found two men in a room with a copy machine and other instruments used for making false identification, Dunning said.

"I'm really having a good feeling that this will lead to the closing of an identity theft ring,'' he said.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said his office would review reports from the Sheriff's Office when the investigation is completed and decide what charges are appropriate.

The incident had its genesis in a Sunday morning church service at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, near 153rd and Pacific Streets.

A woman left her purse in her car while she attended Mass. Someone broke into the car and stole the purse, which contained cash, identification and credit cards.

Because the church is outside Omaha's city limits, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, not the Omaha Police Department, responded to the call and handled the investigation.

Wednesday, Galle and the woman arrived at the hotel and checked in using one of the credit cards. Hotel employees became suspicious of the two, so they called the name listed on the card. A person answered the phone and confirmed that the people staying at the hotel were not authorized to use the card.

That's when hotel employees called authorities. Marriott officials have declined to comment.


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