Arrest video depicts unprofessional tactics, language by KC police officers

Video taken from a police cruiser’s dashboard camera, which became public last week, portrays disturbing conduct by three Kansas City police officers as they arrested a man suspected of a robbery in May 2014.

The video appears to substantiate claims in a lawsuit brought by Manuel Palacio, 24, that he was punched in the rib cage, kneed in the back, had his head driven into the ground and was verbally threatened, even though he complied with commands from two officers and a sergeant.

At least one of the officers is heard repeatedly calling the suspect profane names, including a word derogatory to African Americans. (Palacio is Mexican-American). The officer threatened physical harm to Palacio and vowed to tell the victim of the robbery where Palacio’s mother and other family members lived.

The officers’ versions of events are not yet known. But release of the video paints an unflattering version of police work. The people who should be most upset by it are the many officers on Kansas City’s police force who conduct themselves professionally.

Police Chief Darryl Forté devotes many hours to building stronger relations between the force and the community, and standards for police conduct are high. But a lot of hard work can be undone by a video of less than four minutes, showing officers treating a suspect abusively.

The officers named in the suit are Shannon D. Hansen, Jacob T. Harris and Sgt. Todd Hall. Of the three, Hansen appears on the video as using the most aggressive tactics and language. He is no longer with the department, although police have not said why.

Harris and Hall are on administrative assignments while the case is reviewed, a department spokesman said. The lawsuit contends that while Hall did not engage in abusive tactics and threats, he used more force than necessary to make the arrest, and he failed to try to stop the other officers from mistreating Palacio.

The arrest occurred in Kansas City’s Northeast area, as Hansen and Hall were canvassing the neighborhood for a robbery suspect. Palacio, who was walking on the sidewalk near Independence and Cypress avenues, fit the description.

The lawsuit alleges that Hansen swerved his police cruiser onto the sidewalk and bumped Palacio from behind. It says Palacio turned around and saw Harris exiting the patrol car with his service revolver drawn.

Palacio obeyed officers’ commands to get on the ground. Although he verbally protested, he did not appear to resist arrest.

Among the questions that must be answered in connection with this incident is the gap of time it took for the video to receive attention from prosecutors and police officials.

According to a timeline in a legal motion, police provided the video to the lawyer representing Palacio in the robbery case in April of this year. On Sept. 23, a defense lawyer mentioned it in an email to a prosecutor, calling it “absurd.” The prosecutor’s office notified police officials five days later.

Palacio pleaded guilty in October to one count of stealing and was sentenced to five years in prison. His civil case is continuing.

Regardless of its outcome, Forté in due course must publicly address the incident and explain what the department intends to do about it. The officers in the video appear to anoint themselves as judge and jury, assuming Palacio’s guilt and threatening to carry out their own brand of justice.

That’s a chilling assumption and an attitude that no police force should tolerate.

This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Arrest video depicts unprofessional tactics, language by KC police officers."