Douglas County officials estimate about $15,000 in damage after a Wednesday morning escape attempt.
OMAHA, NE — A man bolted from a Douglas County courtroom on Wednesday and forced his way through a locked emergency exit, damaging the door and frame and setting off alarms, authorities said. Deputies identified the man as 33-year-old Steven Henry and said he fled the courthouse before he could be taken into custody.
The incident matters now because it turned a routine appearance on misdemeanor traffic offenses into a felony case and a county repair bill. Investigators said the courthouse door suffered heavy damage when Henry pushed and rammed it to get outside. Because the estimated loss tops $5,000, the case now includes a felony criminal mischief count, along with disrupting governmental operations. Deputies said an additional warrant has been issued and that they are working to locate Henry as repairs continue at the downtown courthouse.
Security footage from inside the Douglas County Courthouse captured the moment Henry rushed the exit just after court convened on Wednesday morning, according to investigators. The deputy assigned to the courtroom had stepped out to book another individual, and proceedings continued as routine matters were called. Henry learned there were warrants in his name and moved quickly toward the emergency door, deputies said. The video shows him striking the door repeatedly before it gave way to the landing outside. He ran from the building and did not return. “He is wanted for felony criminal mischief and obstructing,” the sheriff’s office said in a public notice after the escape.
Deputies said the break-out left the metal door and frame warped and the hardware in pieces. The agency placed the preliminary damage estimate at about $15,000 and said that number could shift as contractors assess the frame and adjacent wall. The exit, which sits off a hallway used to move in-custody defendants, was boarded up after the incident and chained from the outside while maintenance crews arranged a replacement. Records show Henry had been scheduled in county court on misdemeanor traffic offenses. The sheriff’s office said a judge typically holds cases involving active warrants until a deputy is present to take custody, but in this instance Henry was alerted to the warrants and left before the deputy returned. No injuries were reported, and court schedules resumed after the door was secured.
Douglas County has confronted security concerns before, but officials said escapes through hardened exits are uncommon because courthouse fire doors are designed to remain locked from the outside and alarmed from the inside. In this case, investigators said the door did what it was designed to do at first — remain closed — until repeated force compromised the frame. The building serves county and district courts and connects to other government offices, making any breach disruptive for staff, jurors and defendants. The sheriff’s office emphasized that the damage threshold is central to the new count: state law elevates criminal mischief to a felony when losses exceed $5,000. The agency did not release additional biographical information about Henry beyond his age and name and did not say where they believe he went after leaving the courthouse.
Deputies said they have submitted a new arrest warrant listing criminal mischief and disrupting governmental operations, adding to existing warrants in Henry’s name. The office said investigators are reviewing interior camera footage to map Henry’s path and are coordinating with courthouse facilities on replacement hardware. Officials said procurement and installation timelines will depend on parts availability for a heavy-duty, alarmed fire door that matches code. The sheriff’s office expects to provide the next update after contractors deliver a final estimate and a replacement schedule. Court administrators said hearings in the affected courtroom will continue, with staff routing people away from the boarded doorway in the meantime.
By Friday, the damaged exit remained covered in plywood with a thick chain securing the panel, and hand-lettered notices directed traffic down an alternate corridor. People passing through the hallway traded quick glances at the boarded frame. A courthouse employee who arrived after the incident said the door area “looked like it got hit by a truck,” describing twisted metal and scattered hardware before maintenance swept the floor. A regular visitor to the building said the commotion was brief on Wednesday but word spread quickly once the alarms sounded. Deputies on duty declined to discuss search tactics but reiterated that the warrant lists a felony damage estimate tied to the repair costs.
As of Saturday morning, Henry had not been reported in custody and the new warrant remained active, deputies said. Officials said contractors will deliver a detailed repair plan early next week, with installation to follow. The sheriff’s office plans to release an update once there is an arrest or the door is replaced and tested, whichever comes first.
Author note: Last updated December 6, 2025.