Officials estimate $15,000 in damage to a Douglas County Courthouse emergency door after the Wednesday morning incident.
OMAHA, Neb. — A 33-year-old man who appeared at the Douglas County Courthouse on Wednesday morning allegedly rammed a locked emergency exit multiple times, shattered glass and slipped through the doorway before leaving the building, investigators said, prompting an additional warrant and a felony criminal mischief allegation.
Authorities said the episode matters now because it exposed a brief security gap inside a courtroom and left a public building with thousands of dollars in damage. Deputies said the man, identified as Steven Henry, was in court on minor traffic matters when he learned about outstanding warrants and ran. The sheriff’s office said the damage exceeded the felony threshold and that a new warrant adds counts of criminal mischief and disrupting governmental operations while investigators work to find him.
Deputies said the confrontation unfolded Wednesday, Dec. 3, inside a Douglas County courtroom while the assigned deputy briefly left to book another person. Judges typically pause cases involving anyone with a warrant until security returns, investigators said, but Henry was notified about his warrants before the deputy came back. Security footage shows him sprinting to a locked emergency exit and throwing his shoulder into the door repeatedly. After the glass cracked, he made at least seven attempts before wedging himself through the damaged frame and running from the courthouse. “He caused a lot of damage to the door,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that the exit has since been boarded up and secured with a heavy chain.
Officials said the damage is estimated at $15,000 and that because the amount exceeds $5,000, the criminal mischief count is being pursued as a felony. Investigators said Henry initially came to court to address misdemeanor traffic offenses and that he also had other matters pending, including a contempt warrant. After the escape, deputies said an additional warrant was requested alleging criminal mischief and disrupting governmental operations. The sheriff’s office said Henry is a convicted felon with past charges that include burglary, assault and criminal impersonation. Investigators noted that he later posted a video online acknowledging he left after learning about warrants and disputing when he started running.
Court officials and deputies said the brief absence of a courtroom deputy typically triggers a delay for cases that involve warrants. In this case, the sequence moved forward long enough for Henry to hear about the warrants, and he ran before the deputy returned. The sheriff’s office said the door he used was locked as designed and that the exit hardware held for several attempts before the frame failed. Staff photographed the boarded-up doorway and added exterior chains as a short-term fix while county facilities teams arrange repairs. No injuries were reported, and regular court operations resumed after the area was secured, officials said.
Investigators said they are seeking Henry on three warrants following the incident and that deputies are reviewing cameras to map his path away from the courthouse. Felony criminal mischief cases tied to government facilities generally proceed with damage assessments, repair invoices and video evidence. If arrested, Henry is expected to be booked into the Douglas County jail ahead of an initial court appearance, where a judge would address bond and appoint counsel if needed. Officials said repair work will be coordinated through county facilities, with bids and scheduling dependent on parts and safety requirements for emergency doors.
By Friday, the emergency exit remained sealed with plywood while a metal chain held the doors shut from the outside. People moving through the lobby paused to look at the taped glass and wood panels as deputies explained the temporary closure and directed visitors to other exits. “It was just kind of chaos for a moment,” one courthouse worker said, describing the noise when the glass cracked and the frame bent. Another employee said crews measured the opening and expected a replacement assembly rather than a simple pane swap, given the damage to the door’s structure.
As of Saturday, investigators said the search continued and that the next update is expected after repair crews finalize the damage estimate and procurement steps early next week. The emergency exit will remain out of service until those repairs are completed, officials said.
Author note: Last updated December 6, 2025.