A State Highway Patrol trooper accused of shooting another law enforcement officer in March was indicted by a grand jury on Wednesday.
The trooper, Nekime Oxendine, is charged with murder in the shooting of Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Adam Bean outside a Hope Mills home on March 27. Both men were off-duty at the time.
In March, deputies found Bean lying in the front yard of Tara Whitman’s home on Seattle Slew Lane with blood along his chest and left arm. Search warrants indicate Whitman had romantic relationships with both men at different times.
Whitman told deputies that Bean had come to her home and was upset to find Oxendine’s truck parked outside. She said Oxendine walked out of the home with a gun and shot one round into the dirt before firing several times and hitting Bean.
Capt. Adam Bean, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office (© Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office)
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When deputies arrived, Whitman was performing CPR on Bean, who died from his injuries.
According to an obituary for Bean, he was a native of Oregon who joined the Army and served with the 82nd Airborne Division and deployed to Iraq before being medically discharged.
He served with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office for 20 years, beginning as a patrol deputy and was later promoted to captain and assistant chief of detectives.
Bean’s obituary states that he was survived by a son, among other family members.
Oxendine was placed on administrative leave after the shooting. He remains on leave.
Oxendine will remain behind bars with no bond at least until his next court appearance, which is set for early November.
The State Highway Patrol released a statement on the matter.
The Patrol respects the integrity of the judicial process and our system of laws that we all hold dear. This is a difficult and tragic event for all involved. While this criminal investigation has moved forward, the Patrol has been conducting a separate internal investigation. That investigation is continuing and Sgt. Oxendine remains on administrative duty pending the outcome of the internal investigation. The Patrol has no further comment. North Carolina State Highway Patrol
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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: State trooper indicted in death of Cumberland County deputy