Lincoln Police Officer Tony Howe not only enjoyed his career in law enforcement, he also was very good at it.
That was the assessment of colleagues after Howe, 37, died Wednesday night in a one-vehicle rollover crash on Interstate 80 while on his way to work in Lincoln.
"Tony was the kind of police officer that, if you or any member of your family were a victim, you would like to see handle the situation," Lincoln Police Chief Jim Peschong said Thursday.
"He was a very caring, very thoughtful person who didn't mind taking whatever time was necessary to help someone through a traumatic experience.
"He had the ability to bring calm to a chaotic scene."
Howe lived in York, Neb.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in York, where he taught Sunday school.
A spokeswoman for the Police Department said Howe was married and had children. He worked the overnight shift in the criminal investigation unit, in which he handled cases involving homicide, robbery, sexual assault, burglary and auto theft.
York County Sheriff Dale Radcliff said Howe was driving a 2000 Dodge Neon east on I-80 about 1½ miles east of the Waco interchange when the accident occurred shortly after 8 p.m.
Investigators determined that Howe's car drifted into the median, struck a culvert and went airborne before rolling over.
Howe, who was not using a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle. He was taken to York General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Howe graduated from York High School in 1992 and received a degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1996. He worked for the York Police Department for two years before joining the York County Sheriff's Office in 1998.
"He was very dedicated to law enforcement and did a tremendous job with us," Radcliff said.
"Tony was very well liked and very professional. I was sad to see him leave here, but you certainly understand when a young man wants to further his career."
Contact the writer: 402-444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com
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