State Trooper fired following crash that killed South Dakota man back with the agency

A Nebraska State Trooper who was previously terminated has been returned to work in a different capacity, the patrol said in a news release. 

The patrol said Trooper Tim Flick, who was fired in December of 2017 after an internal investigation into the honesty and completeness of reports he filed on a crash that killed 32-year-old Antoine Ladaeux of South Dakota, is back with the agency after a settlement agreement with the Troopers’ union “through the arbitration process.”

Flick returned Tuesday to a non-enforcement role with the agency, the release said. NSP did not specify exactly what Flick’s role would be, and NSP declined to comment outside of the release. 

The agency said new information provided to NSP in 2018 by Flick’s new attorney, David Domina, resulted in a supplemental internal investigation. As a result of that investigation, NSP Colonel John Bolduc determined that modifying the discipline and the findings was appropriate in order to settle the case, the release said. 

The investigation found that Flick’s actions did not “meet the threshold of intentional dishonesty,” in part due to influence of the union’s attorney over Flick’s reporting, and the “lack of guidance by his superiors.”  Those findings determined that a reduced level of discipline was appropriate. 

According to NSP, criminal charged filed against Flick were dropped, the Nebraska Crime Commission has taken no action against his law enforcement certification, and a federal investigation has yielded no charges. NSP said a grand jury found no fault with Flick’s handling of the events preceding the crash or crash scene.

NSP said Trooper Flick was given a 30-day, unpaid suspension, which is the longest possible under the union contract. The patrol said Flick will receive back pay, minus the suspension, which is standard practice.

“Trooper Flick is eager to get back to serving the citizens of Nebraska,” the release said. 

NSP said the new internal investigation in no way changes the outcome for others who received discipline in connection to the case.

Flick was one of four people wounded during a 2012 standoff in Alliance, Nebraska. The 14-hour standoff began when 27-year-old Andres Gonzalez tried to rob a pharmacy. Gonzalez died after a shootout with police.