Bay City Man Acquitted In 2019 Tuscola County Shooting

A man accused of shooting a Vassar Township man in 2019 was acquitted of all charges Thursday, February 25 in a Tuscola County court.

22-year-old Trevor Payne of Bay City was accused of shooting 39-year-old Trevor Betzing in the head with a 20-gauge shotgun pistol on July 4, 2019. Payne told police at the time of the shooting he was defending Betzing’s wife, whom he says Betzing was physically assaulting. Betzing suffered the loss of his right ear and his hearing on that side, plus nerve damage. He still faces surgeries in the future.

Payne was at a party at the Betzing home during the incident. Betzing’s wife told the court during the six day trial her husband had consumed a lot of alcohol that day and was choking her, testifying she feared for her life. That’s when Payne shot Betzing.

The jury deliberated for about five and a half hours, finally reaching a verdict of not guilty on 12 counts.