© 2025 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Two Years After Overland Park Police Killed Her Teenage Son, Sheila Albers Is Still Demanding Reform

Andrea Tudhope
/
KCUR 89.3
More than two years after her 17-year-old son was shot and killed by a police officer outside of the family's Overland Park home, Sheila Albers' fight for change is far from over.

John Albers was 17 and struggling with mental health issues when an Overland Park police officer shot him to death in 2018.

Today, his mother continues to fight for what she says could have kept him alive — transparency and better training for first responders. Last week, Overland Park decided to fund crisis intervention training for all 258 of its officers. Albers considers it a win, but says there's still more to be done. "Tragedies do happen, but it's our reaction to those tragedies that really show our character in positions of leadership," she says.

Stay Connected
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
Grace Cole is an intern for KCUR's Up To Date.
As senior podcast producer for KCUR Studios and a host of A People’s History of Kansas City, I interview everyday people and dig through old newspaper articles to unearth stories of the visionaries and renegades who created this region. I focus on bringing the past to life, so we can all better understand the city we live in today. Email me at mackenzie@kcur.org.
No matter what happens in Washington D.C., Kansas City needs KCUR. And KCUR needs you.

Our ability to report local news — accurate, independent and paywall-free — depends on you. Donate now to support fact-based news.