2 former Omaha police officers charged with assault in death of mentally ill man
Source: Omaha World Herald
By Todd Cooper and Alia Conley
Two former Omaha police officers will face charges in connection with the June 5 death of a mentally ill Oklahoma man.
Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine announced Wednesday that he is charging Scotty Payne with second-degree assault, a felony, and Ryan McClarty with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
Zachary Bearheels, 29, died after the former police officers punched and shocked him more than a dozen times while trying to force him into the back of a police cruiser near 60th and Center Streets. Payne, an Omaha police officer for five years, shocked Bearheels 12 times with a Taser. McClarty, a two-year officer, reportedly punched him 15 times after Bearheels ripped one of his hands free from a handcuff.
In explaining the charges, Kleine said "there's no evidence whatsoever that these officers intentionally killed Zachary Bearheels."
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