Lincoln man sentenced in crash that killed Ceresco police officer in 2024

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A Lincoln man was sentenced on Thursday in the crash that killed a Ceresco police officer in 2024.

Tony Pierce, 51, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison after being found guilty of motor vehicle homicide and willful reckless driving.

In October, Pierce entered a no-contest plea after previously pleading not guilty.

SEE ALSO: Lincoln man pleads no contest in crash that killed Ceresco Officer Ross Bartlett

The crash happened on April 12, 2024, when Ceresco Police Officer Ross Bartlett was conducting a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 77 in northern Lancaster County.

Court documents say he was in his patrol car when Pierce rear-ended it. The impact sent Bartlett’s cruiser into the vehicle that he had pulled over.

Bartlett died later that night. Pierce and the other driver suffered minor injuries.

Investigators think phone use played a role in the crash.

SEE ALSO: ‘One of a kind’: Family of fallen officer Ross Bartlett remembers the man behind the badge