Faith leaders renew calls for Kansas City police reforms in response to fatal shooting
Local faith leaders on Thursday renewed calls for major reforms of the Kansas City Police Department in response to the fatal police shooting of Malcolm Johnson, saying his death and the subsequent investigation highlight a serious lack of trust between officers and the communities they serve.
Johnson, 31, was fatally shot March 25 by an on-duty Kansas City police officer, who was shot in the leg, during an arrest inside a gas station convenience store in the 6200 block of Prospect Avenue. Videos recently obtained, reviewed and shared by activists and area faith leaders have created serious doubts in their minds over the sparse details released so far by law enforcement as the investigation continues.
Rev. Emanuel Cleaver III, senior pastor of St. James United Methodist Church, said the ministers are not against police. But he said there is a “disconnect between law enforcement and the community, in particular Black and brown communities.”
Cleaver asked rhetorically why the videos were presented to the ministers instead of law enforcement. And he said the answer is clear.
“It is because the community does not trust police. That’s a problem. That’s a problem that everyone in Kansas City ought to be concerned about. It’s a problem that we all ought to address.”
Rev. Darron Edwards, leader of a community-police relationship building initiative called Getting to the Heart of the Matter, said he now doubts whether Johnson fired the bullet that struck an officer in the leg during the struggle as authorities have said.
“It’s not an open and shut case. Let me tell you, Kansas City: When I’m looking at the video, it looks like one officer shot another officer then shot the victim twice in the head,” Edwards said, adding: “Police can clear this up for me by telling us what really happened.”
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, which is investigating the shooting, has said Johnson drew a handgun and opened fire at officers. A bullet struck the leg of one of the officers, who immediately returned gunfire, killing Johnson, the patrol said.
But as the videos have been shared, the faith leaders along with community activists have begun raising questions about the initial narrative provided by law enforcement. They have also brought up other concerns about the conduct of the officers shown on camera as they enter a business with their firearms already drawn.
Earlier this week, the ministers released surveillance video showing two uniformed officers entering — guns in hand — as they confront a man the ministers say is Johnson. Within seconds, the man appears to try to flee arrest as two cops take him to the ground of the gas station convenience store.
The Star on Thursday obtained a second video apparently filmed by one of the store clerks from behind the counter. It shows the tense encounter as a handful of uniformed officers attempt to subdue the man on the floor while he struggles to break free.
In the second video, which lasts roughly one minute, one gunshot can be heard followed by an exclamation and a short pause; then two shots are fired in quicker succession.
As the man laid motionless on the floor, the sergeant yelled to the witnesses, “We need a rag now!” An officer can be seen hobbling around on one leg in the background.
It is unclear from the video where the gunshots are coming from. But the highway patrol has said the same officer who was struck by gunfire is the one and only officer who fired a weapon in the store that day. And the highway patrol has stood by its initial description of the shooting that Johnson fired first at police who returned fire in self-defense.
The ministers have described the killing of Johnson as an “execution” and called for the officers who were involved in the arrest to be immediately fired.
Sgt. Andrew Bell, a spokesman for the Missouri Highway Patrol, confirmed Thursday the agency received a video from Edwards but declined to comment on it while the investigation remains open. Capt. Leslie Foreman, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department, did not comment on the video and in an email referred all questions to the highway patrol.
Elected officials also addressed the video as it was publicly shared Thursday.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker released a written statement saying her office received videos from witnesses and community members to review. She said her office would determine if there were any discrepancies between the original account of the shooting and the actual evidence, including any video evidence.
“Our job requires us to gather as many facts as we can and to use those facts to determine if charges are appropriate under Missouri law,” Baker said. “In order to do that, a full and neutral investigation is necessary. Our duty requires we hold all accountable, no matter their position or power.”
In a statement to The Star, Councilman Eric Bunch said he is concerned about conflict of interest in the investigation.
“I can only hope that the truth will come out of this horrific incident. And if that truth is that an officer accidentally discharged their weapon into the leg of another officer, the previous official statements from KCPD would amount to a cover-up like nothing we have publicly seen in recent years,” Bunch said.
Johnson was being arrested on a warrant for a shooting that occurred March 15 in the 9700 block of East 43rd Street, according to police. A bullet grazed the foot of a man at a home there.
In 2016, Johnson was mistakenly released from the Jackson County Detention Center while facing charges in a murder case. The next year, he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.
