A former employee of a Lincoln tattoo shop is in jail after he threw a handful of used needles at his boss's face and later threatened his boss with a hatchet upon his firing, police said in court records.
Nicholas Yager, 42, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of terroristic threats and misdemeanor criminal mischief for his alleged role in the incident, which played out at a central Lincoln tattoo parlor June 4, according to the affidavit for his arrest.
Yager
Yager's former boss, a 25-year-old man, told police he terminated the 42-year-old after about three months of employment due to Yager "constantly causing issues and threatening him and other employees," Lincoln Police said in the affidavit.
When the 25-year-old did fire Yager, he became irate, according to the affidavit, throwing needles at his boss' face and spilling tattoo ink throughout the business before moving outside.
Once there, the 25-year-old man told police Yager chugged a glass bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade before swinging the bottle at his boss, according to the affidavit. Yager eventually retrieved a hatchet from his backpack and threatened to harm his boss, the police said.
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A witness who had been at the tattoo parlor, near 27th and S streets, corroborated the 25-year-old's account of events.
Lancaster County Sheriff's deputies arrested Yager in Hickman around 10 p.m. Wednesday. He is being held at the Lancaster County jail on a $10,000 percentage bond. He must by $1,000 to be released.
Most dangerous cities in Nebraska
5. Scottsbluff
The city of 15,862 had 53 violent crimes for a rate of 3.34 per 1,000 in 2019.
Photo: Gering Police Officer Jordan McBride talks with Scottsbluff Police Officer Michael Modeac as he puts up crime scene tape at the scene of an armed standoff in Scottsbluff in June 2021.
4. North Platte
With a population of 23,705 and 89 violent crimes, the city had a rate of 3.75 per 1,000.
Photo: Union Pacific train engines line up outside a service building in North Platte.
3. Lincoln
The Star City had a population of 291,128 with 1,115 violent crimes, a rate of 3.83 per 1,000.
Photo: Police in Lincoln investigate a shooting near the intersection of 14th and E streets in August 2019.
2. Grand Island
With a population of 51,821 and 236 violent crimes, the largest of the Tri Cities had a 2019 rate of 4.55 per 1,000 people.
Photo: Grand Island police and State Patrol personnel investigate after a body was found in a Grand Island yard in August 2020.
1. Omaha
In 2019, the state's largest city at 470,481 people had 2,833 violent crimes for a rate of 6.13 per 1,000.
Photo: Omaha police and University Police guard the entrance to the Nebraska Medicine Emergency room after an Omaha police officer was shot at Westroads Mall in March 2021.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @andrewwegley
