Police shootings

During a public budget hearing, Kansas City Police budget officials told city council that $3.5 million would be enough to cover legal expenses. Two months later, the board announced $18.1 million in lawsuit settlements — a surprise to city officials, who don't have any control over the department.

A civil rights lawsuit is costing the KCPD and the city's Board of Police Commissioners $4.1 million. An attorney for the family of Cameron Lamb, who was killed by a white detective in 2019, said they're happy to have the "political football" of the case behind them.

Cameron Lamb's mother settled her lawsuit over then-KCPD detective Eric DeValkenaere's shooting of her son for $4.1 million. Money will also go to the mothers of Lamb's children.

Late Friday, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson released a statement saying that under Missouri law, the officer who shot and killed Maria Pike and her infant, Destinii, was justified in using deadly force.

John Anderton left a house on his bike after aiding two friends who overdosed. After a brief encounter with former Officer Collin Ward, Anderton fled and was shot five times in the back. It was the second time Ward shot someone on duty.

A report from the prosecutor examines officer-involved shootings by the Kansas City Police Department, focusing primarily on the killing of Donnie Sanders, an unarmed Black man, in March 2020.

In the span of three months in 2023, Kansas City, Kansas, police shot and killed two men – John Anderton and Amaree’ya Henderson. The Unified Government and KCK police sued to keep the investigations secret.

The family of Maria Pike and her baby Destinii Hope rallied outside of Independence Police headquarters Sunday and demanded transparency from investigators. Independence Police released highly-edited footage of the incident last week.

Independence has not named the officer who fatally shot Maria Pike and her daughter Destinii Hope, after police responded to a domestic disturbance call on Nov. 7, 2024. The body camera footage shows just three minutes from the 20-minute incident.

Howe was able to weather controversies over his handling of the officer-involved killing of John Albers in 2018 and the FBI investigation that brought national attention to the case.

Erik DeValkenaere violated the constitutional rights of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb when he entered his backyard without any legal reason, a U.S. District judge ruled, opening the door to financial damages for the family.

St. Louis-area residents gathered at an event hosted by St. Louis Public Radio and NPR to address the changes that have been made since then, as well as what still needs to be done.