KC police secure funding for body cameras, chief says at ‘Unity March’ headed to Plaza

As protests continued Wednesday evening in Kansas City, dozens of people gathered for the “Unity March,” which kicked off with Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith telling the crowd that some funding has been secured for police officers to receive body cameras.

The crowd erupted in applause and cheers following Smith’s announcement near Southmoreland Park.

Soon they started marching to Mill Creek Park, where protesters turned out for a sixth day to protest the deaths of black Americans in police custody and call for change within law enforcement.

Police said the cameras will be purchased through funds provided by community donors, according to an email from spokesman Sgt. Jacob Becchina.

“We have been listening to the community’s call for change,” Smith said.

The DeBruce Foundation announced in a statement that it donated $1 million for the body cameras and raised an additional $1.5 million from community partners. The Kansas City-based foundation said it recognizes that both citizens and police have agreed that body cameras are needed but lacked funding. It said it was time “for foundations and business leaders to take action.”

“We believe in Kansas City and we want to be part of the solution for the future good of our community,” the statement read.

Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Mayor Quinton Lucas said his staff had been in talks with the offices of U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley of Missouri in an effort to get federal funding for body cameras.

Numerous groups have called on Kansas City police to equip its officers with body cameras, including recent protesters who have converged at the Plaza.

In 2018, police took a step toward equipping officers with body-worn cameras when it began accepting bids to buy them. No action has been taken since then as police officials have grappled with video privacy and storage issues.

Civil rights groups have repeatedly demanded officers wear body cameras in the aftermath of recent officer-involved shootings. Police have said they support the idea because it would increase officer safety and improve accountability.

The announcement came at the beginning of the “Unity March,” which was promoted earlier this week by the Kansas City Police Department as an opportunity for citizens to engaged in “face-to-face discussions,” the agency’s Twitter post indicated. It was being organized by the Justice Center.

Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith and other police officers began mingling with a crowd of about 30 to 50 people by 6 p.m.

Some began chanting a call and response, leading with “Show me what community looks like.’ ‘This is what community looks like!”

Minutes before the march, the group led another chant: “Black lives must survive.”

One man, Michael Beteet, said he came to the march looking to fight for unity and toward problem-solving.

“A lot of times as a person of color, people assume you’re armed with a weapon,” Beteet said. “I want people to know I’m armed with knowledge.”

A counter protest was expected to begin around the same time as the march, according to a Facebook event.

Those who marched from Southmoreland Park to Mill Creek Park were met by hundreds of protesters. Conversations between the police chief and protesters were underway.

Wednesday’s events follow demonstrations that have been held since Friday at the Country Club Plaza.

On Tuesday, protests were mostly calm as police said they worked to de-escalate tension and protesters urged one another to stay peaceful.

It was a difference from previous nights when police deployed pepper spray and tear gas. While “minimal deployments” of pepper spray had been used at times on Tuesday, the Kansas City Police Department said on Twitter, no tear gas was used.

Twenty-five people were arrested during the demonstrations Tuesday, most related to people remaining in the road when police told them to move, according to Sgt. Jacob Becchina, a Kansas City police spokesman.

Since last week, protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck during an arrest for nearly nine minutes, have been held across the country.

That officer, Derek Chauvin, has since been charged, and is now facing an upgraded charge of second-degree murder, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

The Minnesota attorney general’s office also announced Wednesday that three more officers who were there at the time of Floyd’s arrest have been charged with aiding and abetting a murder: J Alexander Kueng, 26, Thomas Kiernan Lane, 37, and Tou Thao, 34.

All four were fired last week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Star reporters Glenn E. Rice, Luke Nozicka and Anna Spoerre also contributed.

This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 7:14 PM.