Civil Rights Teams, Black Pastors Ask DOJ for Investigation Into Kansas Metropolis Police

Civil rights groups and an organization of mostly black pastors in Missouri are asking the Department of Justice to investigate wrongdoing within the Kansas City Police Department, the Associated Press reported.

The group of pastors known as Getting to the Heart of the matter filed the request with the Justice Department after working with the city police to improve their relationship with parishioners. However, the group’s relationship with the department changed after they said on 1. The group said the man had been “executed”.

The Urban Council, an organization of civil rights groups, also said Monday it had sent a letter to US Attorney Merrick Garland requesting an investigation by the city’s police force.

“The investigation is necessary because I don’t see any guidance from the chief of police,” Pastor Darron Edwards told the AP. “There is no accountability, no response to the needs or voices of the community.”

More coverage from the Associated Press can be found below.

Civil rights groups and an organization made up of mostly black pastors are asking the Justice Department to investigate the Kansas City Police Department. In this photo, Kansas City, Missouri Police Chief Richard Smith (C) attends an event with United States President Donald Trump about Operation Legend ‘in the East Room of the White House on July 22, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

To get to the crux of the matter, the Department of Justice has asked the Department of Justice to investigate the department for failing to respond to calls for greater accountability, particularly during shootings or violent interactions with minority residents, Edwards said.

“Something has to happen to change the way our city evolves in terms of protecting and serving people in all of its zip codes,” he said on Thursday.

On Monday the city council announced that it had sent a letter to Garland asking for an investigation into the “disruptive patterns” of violent policing against black men.

The civil rights groups also criticized the Board of Police Commissioners, which includes the mayor and four governor-appointed members. They say the board has protected the police department and the current organization makes Kansas City one of the largest metropolitan areas in the US with no local police control.

Edwards said his group delivered their letter to US Democratic MP Emanuel Cleaver, who represents the Kansas City area, about two weeks ago. The group has also asked the Missouri State Chartered Accountant and Kansas City Chartered Accountant to investigate aspects of the department.

The US Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the two calls for an investigation. Scott Holste, a spokesman for the Missouri accountancy bureau, said Getting to the Heart of the Matter’s request was being considered.

Kansas City Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jacob Becchina said the department has had an agreement with the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Jackson County Attorney’s Office since 2015 to ensure the department reports incidents identified as violations of civil rights or excessive violence could be viewed.

“We take the quality of relationships and respect between the community and members of the (Police Department) very seriously,” said Becchina, who said the department has procedures for reporting discrimination or racial complaints and is fully investigating these complaints.

Civil rights groups have long criticized the department, calling for the resignation or dismissal of Police Chief Rick Smith, with complaints mounting after protests against racial injustice that began in the summer of 2020.

Unlike these groups, Getting to the Heart of the Matter had worked with the department to improve police-community relations, and was publicly commended by Smith and others for those efforts.

That relationship changed on June 1st. Edwards and others said the video of Johnson shot while fighting with multiple officers contradicted the police version that he was shot after shooting an officer.

They claim Johnson was “executed” by police while several officers put him on the ground.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has transferred its investigation into Johnson’s shooting to the Jackson County Attorney’s Office.

Edwards said the department had stopped working with his group as it held press conferences to question the Johnson case. He said he had heard from Chief Smith or someone in the department almost every day but had not received a message or asked to speak to any groups since June 1.

Becchina said in his statement that the department continues to work weekly with Edwards and dozens of others in the denomination.

Edwards said the problems with the police extend beyond the Malcolm Johnson case.