The white bar owner who was indicted last week in the fatal shooting of Black protester James Scurlock has died by suicide.
In a press release shared on Sunday, the Hillsboro Police Department said that a body had been found outside a medical clinic in Oregon at approximately 12:20 p.m. The identity was later determined as 38-year-old Jake Gardner, with police stating at the time that the cause of death was "under investigation," though officers were not seeking any suspects.
Later on Sunday, attorney Stu Dornan said Gardner "took his own life at his own hand" when speaking about the death during a news conference.
"Unfortunately there are two men who have died in a terrible tragedy," Dornan said. "It's a terrible tragedy for the Omaha community. It's a terrible tragedy for James Scurlock and his family. Our condolences are with them and the condolences are with the Gardner family. It's a terrible tragedy for the Gardner family and a terrible tragedy for this community."
As noted by regional Nebraska outlet KMTV, Gardner was indicted by a grand jury on four charges earlier this month. Those charges included manslaughter, use of a firearm in connection with a felony, attempted first degree assault, and terroristic threats. A judge signed paperwork for an arrest warrant on Friday.
Prior to those charges being announced, Gardner had argued that he acted in self-defense. And last week, special prosecutor Frederick Franklin—when announcing the grand jury decision—said that he had also subscribed to the self-defense argument when he first signed on to oversee the case. Evidence "primarily from Jake Gardner himself," however, ultimately changed his mind.
