Seward County Sheriff Mike Vance said he was not surprised when a Lancaster County jury found his former deputy not guilty of manslaughter charges related to a 2023 interstate pursuit.
A Lancaster County District Court jury on Feb. 13 found former Seward County Sheriff’s Deputy Anthony Gann not guilty of manslaughter related to the death of Jorge Luis Santana-Ramirez on Oct. 23, 2023.
Santana-Ramirez, then 44, was shot after a high-speed pursuit that began in Seward County and ended in Lancaster County. Gann was apprehending Santana-Ramirez at the time.
Gann’s trial began Feb. 9 and court documents indicate the jury’s verdict closed the case sometime after 3:30 p.m. Feb. 13. A Lancaster County grand jury had determined probable cause in 2024, leading to 2A felony manslaughter charges being filed against Gann.
Vance said he and Sgt. Kevin Beatty had been subpoenaed to testify in the trial, but were notified the night before they were scheduled to appear that their testimony would not be needed. Because he had been subpoenaed, he could not attend the trial.
Vance said his department’s internal investigation into the incident found no violation of department policies in the pursuit or shooting.
But he did alter one department policy regarding pursuits. While sheriff’s deputies were previously required to end any pursuits before reaching Lincoln, after this pursuit he changed that limit to the Lancaster County line.
He said on the interstate it is not a big difference because the first exit east of the county line is for Lincoln.
“Once you cross the Lancaster County line, especially now with construction, it is not worth the risk of somebody getting hurt,” he said, especially at high speeds like 100 miles per hour.
Gann resigned from the Seward County Sheriff’s Office in 2024 after the grand jury finding and his subsequent indictment.
Vance said he did not know Gann’s plans going forward.
Seward County Attorney Wendy Elston declined to comment on the verdict, but noted a separate civil case filed by Santana-Ramirez’s family.
“I will continue to zealously represent the county’s interest,” she said of that case.
A separate federal civil lawsuit was filed in July by Santana-Ramirez’s mother, Misty Romero, on behalf of his estate. The suit names Gann, Seward County Sheriff Mike Vance and the Seward County Board of Commissioners as defendants, alleging they jointly and severally deprived Santana-Ramirez his protected right to be free of unreasonable seizure and unreasonable force, citing the 4th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
According to Dec. 19, 2025, case documents the civil suit’s trial is not expected to occur until 2027.
