The Beatrice State Developmental Center (photo from KWBE)
A former employee of the Beatrice State Developmental Center has pleaded no contest in a case involving abuse of a resident.
Shawn Ebeling agreed to enter the plea to a misdemeanor charge of attempted abuse of a vulnerable adult for the September 2015 incident.
District Judge Daniel Bryan Jr. scheduled sentencing for January 5, 2017. Ebeling could receive up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Gage County Attorney Roger Harris says investigators found that Ebeling struck the resident twice in the head and pushed him.
This caused him to fall into a wall and hit a fuse box.
“Which had a handle sticking out. This caused a cut above his right eye,” Harris said. “When he saw the bleeding from that injury, he reacted and was screaming and became much harder to control. A nurse was summoned and treated the wound.”
Ebeling admitted to an investigator that he became upset when the resident of the center attempted to bite him.
Doug Kennedy, KWBE, contributed to this report.