2015/09/27
When Nikki Payne visited the hospital on August 30 last year, she had a broken nose, cheek and jawbone, teeth were broken and she had shards of glass in her throat.
In fear, she told hospital staff and police detectives her injuries were a result of a “mishap” that happened while she was moving furniture with her boyfriend Justin Beaton, a police officer.
Later, she admitted to the authorities that her battered condition was the result of being beaten by the policeman who was heavily drunk that night.
She explained that he fired a gun at her.
The shot ended up shattering a window.
Pieces of glass flew and injured Payne.
She also mentioned that this was not the first time that the 10-year IMPD veteran officer had pointed a gun at her.
He had done it once before when she was pregnant.
For six months after the incident, Beaton continued to serve as a member of law enforcement.
However, in February he was charged with attempting to murder his girlfriend.
Following the arrest, he was suspended without pay and subject to the outcome of his case a proposal was made to terminate him.
The accused police officer’s attorney, Jack Crawford argued that injuries Payne had sustained were indeed from a tragic accident and nothing to do with his client.
This is despite the fact that she had told detectives she was afraid for her life.
“I mean I got scared, honestly, that he’s probably gonna try to kill me,” she said.
Following this testimony, Beaton was arrested and the bond amount for his release for the trial was set at $300,000.
Crawford argued that his client would live with family in Mooresville, which was very far from Indianapolis, where Payne lived.
In response to this the court reduced his bond to $ 50,000.
Only four months later, he violated the conditions of his pre-trial release, which also resulted in his $50,000 being revoked.
The former officer is now being held at the Marion County Jail.
This is when Beaton admitted to having an alcohol problem, for which he was undergoing treatment even prior to his arrest.
However, the latest development points to a twisted turn of events, with just days to go for his trial, Beaton has pleaded guilty to one count of criminal recklessness – a felony charge that is punishable by up to 6 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
This is disturbing in light of the fact that there is damning evidence against him.