KEARNEY, Neb. (KSNB) – A Kearney man accused of threatening Police Chief Bryan Waugh and members of his department has been convicted of two related misdemeanor charges.

Marcus Ditchman, 59, was found guilty Friday of stalking and third-degree assault. His sentencing is scheduled for December.

Ditchman was initially charged with two counts of misdemeanor stalking, two counts of driving a vehicle with rotating or flashing colored lights and one count of no operator’s license. Details of the crimes were sealed by a judge, but charging documents indicate that Ditchman was accused of stalking Waugh and his wife on Sept. 6, 2023, at a residence in north Kearney.

Ditchman was originally charged with making terroristic threats in connection with a incident at the Kearney Law Enforcement Center on May 21, 2023. Court records indicate Ditchman was accused of threatening to release two dogs on Kearney police officers.

Prosecutors reduced charges in both cases to misdemeanors in a plea agreement.

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