The footage, later obtained and reported by KMOV News 4, showed officers interacting with the man inside the station's booking area. According to charging documents and investigators, former De Soto officers James Daly and Bethany Zarcone were accused of assaulting the prisoner during the booking process. A third officer, Allayna Campbell, was separately accused of deleting photographs connected to the incident.

What made the case particularly significant was that the alleged conduct did not occur on a dark street or during a chaotic pursuit.

It happened inside a police station.

And the cameras were already running.

The Booking Room

The incident began as the man was being processed at the De Soto Police Station.

Booking is normally a structured part of the arrest process. Officers identify the person in custody, document the arrest, collect personal property, and prepare the individual for detention.

But according to the investigation, the interaction involving former Sergeant James Daly became physical.

Charging documents said Daly grabbed the man by the hair and throat, pushed him onto a bench, and held him by the neck for a period of time. Investigators reported that the prisoner told them his airway was restricted while Daly was holding him.

The surveillance footage became an important piece of evidence because it provided investigators with a visual record of what happened inside the station.

The video also showed another officer, Bethany Zarcone, interacting physically with the handcuffed prisoner.

According to investigators and the charging documents, Zarcone was accused of striking the prisoner in the groin with her knees during the booking process.

The image captured from the station's camera gives a stark impression of the scene: two officers surrounding a man on the floor while the booking area remains visible around them.

For investigators, however, the footage was only one part of a much larger case.

A Handcuffed Prisoner

One of the central facts in the case was that the man was already handcuffed.

That detail became particularly important when prosecutors examined whether the force used during the booking process was justified.

Police officers can legally use force in certain circumstances, including situations involving resistance or threats. But the circumstances surrounding any use of force are examined based on what happened, the level of resistance involved, and the actions of everyone present.

In this case, the De Soto Police Department's own chief later publicly described the footage as deeply troubling.

Chief Jeff McCreary told KMOV that there are circumstances in which officers need to use physical force, but he said this particular incident was unnecessary. He explained that department procedures called for officers dealing with an uncooperative person during booking to secure necessary items and return later rather than escalate the situation.

That statement would become an important part of the department's public response.

The Investigation Begins

The incident occurred on September 30, but the external investigation did not begin immediately.

According to reporting from KMOV, De Soto Police Chief Jeff McCreary contacted the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office on November 24 and requested an outside investigation.

The Sheriff's Office then investigated the allegations and reviewed the available evidence.

Prosecutors subsequently filed charges against three De Soto officers.

James Daly faced one count of third-degree assault and two counts of fourth-degree assault.

Bethany Zarcone was charged with third-degree assault.

Allayna Campbell was charged with tampering with physical evidence. Investigators alleged that Campbell deleted photographs showing the assault. According to reporting at the time, Campbell told investigators that a supervisor had instructed her to delete the images.

The evidence-tampering allegation added another layer to an already unusual case.

The investigation was no longer simply about what allegedly happened to the prisoner.

It also involved questions about what happened to evidence afterward.

The Role of the Cameras

The surveillance cameras inside the police station ultimately played a crucial role.

Without the footage, investigators would have had to rely much more heavily on statements from the people involved.

Instead, there was video evidence showing the encounter inside the booking area.

KMOV reported that its News 4 team obtained video of the alleged assault and published footage showing the officers' interaction with the prisoner.

This is one of the reasons police-station surveillance footage can become so important in cases involving alleged misconduct.

Unlike a witness remembering an event days or weeks later, video can preserve the sequence of events as they actually occurred on camera.

It does not answer every legal question by itself.

But it can provide investigators, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and jurors with evidence to examine.

The Department Responds

Once the video became public, the De Soto Police Department faced difficult questions.

Chief McCreary said the behavior shown in the footage was not representative of the work performed by the department's other officers. He also said the department had been working to rebuild its operations and improve its policies following earlier difficulties.

The chief specifically pointed to changes in the department's use-of-force review process and said the incident had been detected through those procedures and the newly installed cameras.

The department also expressed disappointment over the incident and emphasized that the officers involved were no longer representative of its current operations.

But for the man seen in the footage, the consequences of that September night were already part of his story.

And for the officers involved, the case would eventually move from an internal investigation into the criminal court system.

Bethany Zarcone Pleads Guilty

The case continued for years.

In September 2021, former De Soto officer Bethany Zarcone pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault in connection with the incident involving the handcuffed prisoner.

A judge initially sentenced Zarcone to 90 days in jail, but the sentence was suspended and she was placed on two years of probation. Court records also indicated that Zarcone agreed to testify in the case against James Daly.

The case against Daly continued.

Meanwhile, the third officer, Allayna Campbell, faced the separate allegation of tampering with physical evidence related to photographs taken after the incident.

The Case Against James Daly

The legal process involving James Daly lasted considerably longer.

In November 2024, a Jefferson County jury found Daly guilty of three misdemeanor assault charges stemming from the September 2020 incident. Reporting based on court records said the victim had died in September 2021, but his death was not related to the assault at the police station.

On January 30, 2025, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Brenda Stacey sentenced Daly to six months in jail on each of two Class A misdemeanor fourth-degree assault charges and 15 days on a Class C misdemeanor fourth-degree assault charge.

However, the sentences were suspended.

Daly was instead placed on two years of probation.

The court outcome brought a formal conclusion to the criminal case against Daly.

More Than a Bodycam Moment

The footage from De Soto is disturbing not simply because it shows a physical confrontation.

It is significant because of where the confrontation happened.

A police station is supposed to be a controlled environment. Officers have access to equipment, surveillance cameras, other personnel, and established procedures.

The incident also demonstrates how a single piece of video can change the trajectory of an investigation.

What began as an allegation by a prisoner eventually became an external investigation, criminal charges, court proceedings, a guilty plea by one former officer, and a jury conviction involving another.

The surveillance footage provided investigators with an opportunity to examine the incident from a perspective independent of the statements made by those involved.

And years later, the case continued to appear in court records as the legal consequences unfolded.

What the Footage Leaves Behind

When viewers watch police bodycam or station surveillance footage, it can be tempting to judge an entire case from a few dramatic seconds.

But the complete story is usually more complicated.

The footage shows what happened on camera. Investigators then gather statements, photographs, reports, medical information, policies, and other evidence. Prosecutors decide what charges are appropriate, while courts determine guilt or innocence based on the legal process.

In this case, that process ultimately produced different outcomes for the officers involved.

Bethany Zarcone pleaded guilty and received probation.

James Daly was later convicted by a jury and sentenced to probation after his jail sentences were suspended.

The third officer, Allayna Campbell, faced a tampering-with-evidence charge over the alleged deletion of photographs.

What remains most striking is that the entire episode unfolded in a room designed for routine police processing.

The man was already in custody.

The officers were inside their own station.

And the cameras were watching.

Years later, the footage continues to provide a visual record of the encounter and the investigation that followed — a case that began with a booking procedure and ultimately became a criminal matter involving three former De Soto police officers.

This is the story behind the footage from the De Soto Police Station in Missouri: a September 30, 2020 booking that escalated into allegations of assault, an investigation by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, criminal charges, and court proceedings that continued for years.