Officer Who Took Out DIMEBAG's Killer Fails To Win 'America's Most Wanted All-Star' Award

May 23, 2005

Columbus Police Officer James D. Niggemeyer, who is widely credited for saving lives on Dec. 8, 2004 when he entered Alrosa Villa without backup and killed a crazed gunman responsible for blowing away four people, including PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, received the second-highest number of votes for the "America's Most Wanted All-Star" honor and did not win the "All-Star" prize, which includes $10,000 in cash and a VIP trip to the next NASCAR All-Star Challenge. The "All-Star" honor went to Wichita Falls Police Department Detective Deanna Tofte, whose work resulted in the arrest of a man charged with sexually abusing two young children. More information on all the finalists is available at this location.

As previously reported, Niggemeyer was cleared of wrongdoing by a grand jury Friday (May 20) in connection with the events of last December, according to the Associated Press.

With no backup, Niggemeyer entered the Alrosa Villa nightclub on Dec. 8 and fired a single shotgun blast that killed Nathan Gale, who had shot and killed four people during a concert by the band DAMAGEPLAN.

One of those killed by Gale was DAMAGEPLAN guitarist Abbott. Gale, 25, was still shooting and had taken a hostage when the officer came in.

Gale had told his mother and a former employer that he was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic before he was discharged from the Marines in October 2003, two years into a four-year stint. Military records do not mention mental illness as the reason for the discharge.

Gale was a fan of Abbott's former band PANTERA, nominated for a Grammy in 1994. DAMAGEPLAN formed after PANTERA broke up.

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