Eight years after fatal shooting by KCPD, trial begins in wrongful death lawsuit

It has been almost eight years since Kenny Gurley was fatally shot by a Kansas City police officer outside of a house in the Ruskin Heights area.

And on Monday, a trial began in U.S. District Court in Kansas City in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by his family.

Gurley, 40, of Grandview, was killed on Dec. 29, 2010.

Gurley and his cousin were inside an abandoned house that day when someone called police to report prowlers, according to the suit and subsequent court documents.

Gurley was looking at the house because he was interested in buying it, according to the suit.

Two Kansas City police officers arrived. Gurley came outside holding a metal curtain rod in his hand.

He complied with one officer’s command to put his hands up, the suit alleges.

The officer then allegedly holstered his gun and punched Gurley in the face. That officer then yelled for the second officer, who had not seen what transpired, to bring a Taser.

Instead, the officer came into the yard, saw Gurley holding the rod, and shot him, the suit alleges.

The suit filed by Gurley’s mother, Donna Lancaster, names the two officers and the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners as defendants.

It is scheduled for one week.