Judge revokes Kearney man’s bond in police chief stalking case

KEARNEY, Neb. -- A Kearney man charged with stalking the city’s police chief is back in jail after a judge revoked his bond.

The Nebraska State Patrol arrested 59-year-old Marcus Ditchman at his house Wednesday on a judicial order for bond revocation. An NSP spokesman says the investigation is ongoing and couldn’t share more details.

The court sealed the document that shows the motion to revoke the bond. What we do know, is that Ditchman filed 10 percent of a $25,000 bond last September. The conditions of the bond were that he couldn’t have contact with Police Chief Bryan Waugh, the chief’s wife or the Waugh’s house. If authorities believe he violated the conditions of the bond, they can revoke it and place Ditchman in jail.

The case dates back to last September when the county attorney charged Ditchman with five misdemeanors. They include two counts of stalking, driving without a license and two counts of driving a vehicle with illegal lights. Ditchman is scheduled for a status hearing on August 30.

The stalking incident was not Ditchman’s first run-in with Kearney Police. Officers arrested him in May 2023 for terroristic threats. Ditchman live-streamed the interaction on his “cop watcher” Facebook page and can be heard telling an officer that he “will let these dogs go and they will munch the f— out of you.” That case is also still going through court system.