Former De Soto Police Officer Bethany Zarcone has been placed on two years’ probation after pleading guilty to assaulting a handcuffed suspect in September 2020. She is one of three former De Soto Police officers charged in the case.
The other two former officers facing charges are James Daly and Allayna Campbell, and the cases against them are still pending.
Zarcone, 28, of Farmington pleaded guilty on Sept. 14 to fourth-degree assault, a class A misdemeanor, and Jefferson County Div. 4 Circuit Judge Brenda Stacey sentenced her to 90 days in jail. However, the sentence was suspended and Zarcone was placed on probation, court records show.
According to the court documents, Zarcone has agreed to be called as a witness in the case against Daly, who also is facing assault charges.
Zarcone initially was charged with third-degree assault, a felony, after being accused of kneeing the prisoner during the booking process in the De Soto Police Station, according to the probable-cause statement in the case.
“Ms. Zarcone is happy to have this matter resolved,” said her Clayton-based attorney Gabe Crocker. “This was a very challenging and stressful time in her life, and it ultimately cost her the ability to do the job she loved. Ms. Zarcone has a bright future and is pursuing a career outside of law enforcement. She is very much looking forward to this new chapter of her life.”
Daly, 56, of Imperial has been charged with third-degree assault, a class E felony punishable by up to four years in prison, and two counts of fourth-degree assault, each one a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a possible fine of up to $2,000.
He is accused of grabbing the handcuffed prisoner by the hair and throat. He then allegedly pushed the victim onto a bench and held the prisoner by his neck on the bench for “a period of time,” the probable-cause statement said.
The victim said his airway was restricted while Daly allegedly held the man by his throat, the report said.
Campbell, 23, of Park Hills, the other officer charged in the case, has been charged with tampering with physical evidence, a class A misdemeanor, for allegedly deleting numerous digital photographs of the prisoner after the alleged assault, court records show.
Campbell told investigators she was instructed to delete the photos by a supervisor, and she said she “did not believe deleting the photographs was an act of normal procedure for her police department,” the report said.
Campbell also told investigators she believed she was requested to delete the photos because it was evidence of an assault, according to the report.
In November, De Soto Police Chief Jeff McCreary requested the Jefferson County Sheriff’s investigate the incident, and later that month, the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed the charges against the former officers, court records show.
In December, De Soto Police released a video of the incident.
“The behavior seen on the video is not indicative of the great job many of our officers do every day,” McCreary said at the time.