‘A DARK CLOUD’

Lawsuit Claims Omaha Man Who Killed Protester Was Driven to Suicide by Prosecutor

Jake Gardner took his own life after being charged with manslaughter in the death of James Scurlock.

In September, Omaha bar owner and veteran Jake Gardner took his own life after being indicted on manslaughter charges in connection with the shooting death of a Black man, James Scurlock, during protests months earlier. Now Gardner’s family has filed a lawsuit against the special prosecutor who oversaw the grand jury investigation, claiming comments he made that implied Gardner was a racist drove him to suicide. “The statements made during the press conference caused Jacob to be ‘surrounded by a dark cloud’ of depression and be in extreme emotional distress regarding both the loss of life that had occurred and his fears for a fair trial and his own safety and that of his family,” the suit alleges, according to local station WOWT. The prosecutor—who had alleged that Gardner essentially set up an ambush in his bar amid unrest following the murder of George Floyd—declined to comment on the suit.

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741