Jake Gardner Wiki – Jake Gardner Biography
Jake Gardner, an Omaha, Nebraska, man indicted in connection to the May 30 shooting death of a 22-year-old Black protester, has died by suicide, his attorney told reporters.
A Nebraska bar owner who was indicted by a grand jury last week in the fatal shooting of a Black protester has died by suicide, his attorney Stu Dornan announced during a news conference Sunday.
“The family of Jake Gardner has asked Tom Monaghan and myself to share the news of his death today, at his own hand,” Dornan said.
Jake Gardner Age
Jake Gardner has died at the age of 38 years old.
Cause of Death
Gardner, 38, was found dead inside a medical clinic outside of Portland, Oregon, Sunday afternoon, the Hillsboro Police Department said in a news release.
Jake Gardner, an Omaha, Nebraska, man indicted in connection to the May 30 shooting death of a 22-year-old Black protester, has died by suicide, his attorney told reporters.
On Sunday, Stu Dornan announced the news about Gardner, 38, during a press conference, saying, “The family of Jake Gardner has asked Tom Monaghan and myself to share the news of his death today, at his own hand,” according to CNN.
The Hillsboro Police Department in Oregon issued a statement on Sunday, revealing that Gardner was found dead outside a medical clinic at about 12:20 p.m. “The cause of death is under investigation, but officers are not seeking any suspects and there is no danger to the community,” said police in a press release.
Last week, Gardner, a bar owner, was indicted by a Douglas County grand jury on charges stemming from the fatal shooting of James Scurlock in Omaha on May 30.
“I had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Gardner before his return, and he was really shook up,” Dornan told reporters, per the Omaha World-Herald. “The grand jury indictment was a shock to him, it was a shock to us, it was a shock to many people.”
Incident Video
Video of the incident showed Gardner’s father push a protester after asking them to leave the area around the Gatsby bar. The unidentified man pushed Gardner’s father back and Gardner intervened, showing hand gun, according to Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine.
Two protesters then jumped on Gardner’s back and he fired two warning shots. Scurlock, who was not a part of the initial confrontation, then entered the scene, Kleine said.
Gardner said he was put in a headlock and begged to be let go before shooting Scurlock in the clavicle, according to Kleine.
Kleine initially declined to bring charges against Gardner, saying he acted in self-defense and didn’t believe that he was “somebody who walked out and was trying to hunt down somebody.”
But only days later, Kleine asked for a grand jury to review his decision.
Dornan described Gardner as a decorated veteran who served two tours in Iraq and suffered from two traumatic brain injuries. The attorney said that his client had cooperated with authorities the night of the shooting.
“He told us that he felt that he was in the war zone that night outside of his bar with violence, the tear gas, and the mass confusion,” Dornan explained.
Dornan said “there was great risk to Mr. Gardner” following the shooting, so he left town. He was scheduled to return to Nebraska Sunday night to face the charges.
Dornan said the indictment was a shock to Gardner and called the shooting “a clear case of self-defense.”
Charged
The charges stem from the May 30 shooting death of 22-year-old James Scurlock outside of Gardner’s Omaha bar during protests related to the police killing of George Floyd, CNN previously reported.
Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine previously said, CNN reports, that video of the May 30 incident shows a clash between protesters outside a bar in Omaha, with two demonstrators jumping on Gardner’s back as he then shoots two warning shots.
Though he wasn’t involved in the scuffle initially, Scurlock then appeared, with Gardner claiming that he tried to defend himself after being put in a headlock, shooting and killing Scurlock.
According to the World-Herald, the grand jury denied Gardner’s claim that he was acting in self-defense during the fatal shooting of Scurlock. He was charged with manslaughter, making terroristic threats, weapon use and attempted first-degree assault.
The outlet also reports that Gardner’s attorneys told reporters that he suffered two traumatic brain injuries during his military tours in Iraq.
