Former Overland Park officer stripped of police license after posting evidence on Snapchat
A police officer in Overland Park who posted photos of evidence on social media has been stripped of his police license in Kansas, records show.
Former officer Thomas Bangert was employed by the Overland Park Police Department from Jan. 21, 2020, to July 19, 2021. He had been an officer in Kansas since 2016, according to records from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (CPOST). The commission issues licenses allowing police officers to be employed in Kansas.
The police department opened an investigation after they learned department photos and videos were being shared on Snapchat.
Bangert was interviewed and denied recording department videos onto his phone.
According to CPOST, investigators obtained information that “contradicted” Bangert’s statements, and in a second interview, he said he had sent videos on Snapchat twice. He also said he had sent pictures of evidence.
During a third interview, Bangert admitted to posting several department videos and photos.
The police department concluded that Bangert had been dishonest throughout the internal investigation. He resigned.
When the commission interviewed Bangert, he was “evasive” and “dodged questions,” CPOST said.
His license was revoked in March.
In response to questions from The Star, Overland Park spokeswoman Meg Ralph said in an email Friday night that no police department cases were compromised by Bangert’s actions.
“The Overland Park Police Department’s operating policies prohibit officers from sharing photos and videos of their work on social media without the Chief’s permission,” Ralph said. “Staff were recently reminded of this, and training on this policy will continue.”
An attorney for Bangert listed in CPOST records did not respond to requests for comment.
Last September, another former Overland Park officer lost his license after he admitted taking underwear on the job and secretly filmed a woman in the shower.
This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 11:53 AM.
