OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A candidate for sheriff in eastern Nebraska was ticketed for speeding after an officer spotted him driving over 100 mph on his way to campaign at a Cinco de Mayo parade in Omaha.
An Omaha police report says George Merithew was wearing a Merithew for Douglas County sheriff shirt when he was ticketed for driving 107 mph in a 65 mph zone along Interstate 80 in Omaha around 9 a.m. Saturday.
The report says Merithew provided his license and registration when the officer asked, and then showed his retired Omaha police ID badge. He worked for the Omaha department for 25 years before retiring.
Merithew’s campaign said later that he showed his retired police ID badge as part of notifying the officer that he was armed. The campaign acknowledged in a statement that Merithew was speeding but said he complied with the officer before he received a $300 ticket and “will now exercise the same rights every other citizen has to deal with the citation.”
Merithew faces Republican Omaha Police Sgt. Aaron Hanson in Tuesday’s primary election. The winner of that race will face one of two Democrats running for the office in November.
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