Local Celebrity Pulled Over and Held at Gun Point After Parade in His Honor

Hours after a parade in his honor, Omaha boxing champion Terence “Bud” Crawford was ordered out of his car at gunpoint, handcuffed, and cited. Reporter Jackson Piercy at WIFR lays out the shock: the stop happened around 1:30 a.m., not far from the celebration. Crawford had just been cheered for making boxing history in mid-September, becoming the first fighter to capture three unified division titles, and had received his second key to the city. Then blue lights. Then drawn weapons. The whiplash from confetti to commands is hard to miss, and it’s exactly why this story hit a nerve.

What Police Say Happened

According to Piercy’s reporting, Omaha Police state the car Crawford was driving was stopped for reckless driving. While an officer spoke with him, police say a firearm was visible inside the vehicle. That changed the tone. Officers ordered Crawford and three others out of the car at gunpoint and placed them all in handcuffs. After checks, officers said every person in the car was legally permitted to carry a firearm. Crawford was cited for reckless driving; no gun charges followed. That is the department’s official account as presented in the WIFR piece.

“A Nightmare” From the Passenger Seat

Piercy quotes Qasim Shabazz – Crawford’s head of security – who describes the stop as “a nightmare.” He says the car was leaving a party when things escalated fast. Shabazz told WIFR he feared for their lives despite doing everything calmly. He called the police response unnecessary, adding that even a well-trained, level-headed person can be at risk “if you run into a rogue police officer who wants to escalate.” Those are his words, and they frame the dispute that follows: who saw what, when, and why did guns come out at all?

A Direct Dispute Over the First Sight of a Gun

In Piercy’s piece, Shabazz directly challenges the police claim that officers observed a firearm before drawing their weapons. He says the officer “never sees a firearm anywhere,” insisting the gun on his person wasn’t visible due to where he was seated. He also recounts that officers pointed guns at both him and Crawford as commands flew. “I literally had my hands on top of the ceiling inside of the vehicle,” he says. The picture he paints is of immediate, overwhelming force at very close range.

Liberty Doll’s Timeline and Duty-to-Inform Angle

Gun-rights commentator Liberty Doll adds more texture in her video breakdown. She says social media footage from inside the car shows an officer holding Crawford at gunpoint and ordering him to exit, hands up. She highlights Nebraska’s duty-to-inform rule – if you’re carrying, you must promptly notify officers – which Crawford’s side says he did. In her telling, that notification was the moment things escalated. She even maps out the short distance between the party venue and the stop – roughly a tenth of a mile – and questions how “reckless” driving could unfold over such a short span. Her skepticism is hers; she’s transparent about what she can and can’t confirm.

Two Stories, One Crucial Exchange

Liberty Doll also mentions audio she attributes to an Omaha scanner feed. In that clip, she says an officer notes a firearm on the driver’s floorboard, and another voice replies, “I just told you that.” She argues that exchange fits Crawford’s account of lawful disclosure more than the police version of spotting a gun first. Still, she acknowledges the actual sequence – who saw what before weapons were drawn – remains fuzzy without body camera footage. Her bottom line: the specifics matter because they determine whether the threat assessment was justified or panic-driven.

Handcuffs, Checks, and a Citation

On the common ground, both sources agree on the end of the stop: everyone was handcuffed while officers ran licenses and checked status; all were lawful carriers; Crawford received a reckless driving citation. Piercy quotes Shabazz calling the entire encounter “a nightmare,” while Liberty Doll underscores how quickly a duty-to-inform conversation can turn tense. On one side, police say a visible gun prompted a high-risk approach. On the other, the occupants say lawful disclosure triggered an overreaction.

City Hall Promises Answers

Piercy reports that Mayor John Ewing spoke directly with Crawford and said Police Chief Todd Schmaderer has pledged an internal investigation. Ewing’s words hit a thoughtful tone – his “heart sank,” he said – because the day that should have unified the city now risks pulling trust apart. He promised a full, transparent review and said he is personally examining the body camera footage. He also reminded residents that they have the right to raise concerns about police activity, so long as it’s done respectfully. The message: safety for officers and citizens both, with facts to follow.

Liberty Doll’s Late-Breaking Update

By the time Liberty Doll posted, she said police had already “investigated themselves and said that they have done nothing wrong.” In her recounting, the department blamed permitless carry and claimed officers didn’t hear Crawford’s disclosure. She points out that body or dash cam footage would clear up timing disputes, but she says it wasn’t available to the public when she recorded. Her tone is blunt: without cameras, the official narrative tends to win by default, even when a stop ends with no gun charges.

The Duty-to-Inform Tension

Here’s where the friction lives. Duty-to-inform laws ask armed citizens to speak up early. Good officers want that candor. But the very act of disclosure can spike adrenaline. One person says “I’m legally carrying,” and another person hears “There is a gun.” Training should bridge that gap. Clear scripts, calm voices, slow movements – all of it lowers the temperature. If disclosure is the trigger for muzzles in faces, we have a policy that punishes honesty. That’s not just scary; it’s a perverse incentive that makes future stops less safe for everyone.

From Parade to Peril – Public Trust on the Line

This story stings because of the contrast. In mid-September, Crawford made history; the city honored him; kids waved; cameras rolled. Hours later, the same star stood at gunpoint with hands up, saying he wasn’t reaching for anything. Whether you side with the police version or the passengers’ account, the city now owns this moment. Transparency matters. If the bodycam supports the officers, show it. If it doesn’t, say so and fix the policy. Honor is built in daylight, not in closed conference rooms.

Release the Video

Piercy reports that the mayor wants the review wrapped “by the end of the week,” while noting it could take longer. Liberty Doll says the department already cleared itself and pinned the chaos on permitless carry and miscommunication. The split shows why the footage is crucial. If Omaha wants to restore calm, release the video, explain the threat assessment, and, if necessary, update training on duty-to-inform stops. Whether you come to this story for boxing, civil rights, or policing policy, both sources agree on one point: what happened inside that car shouldn’t be a mystery. It should be a lesson.

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