KCPD panel meant to reviews police shootings has ignored these two high-profile cases
A Kansas City Police Department panel that convenes after police shootings never reviewed two high-profile killings, including one that sent a detective to prison.
KCPD’s Notable Event Review Panel, or NERP, reviews officers’ actions and can issue policy or training recommendations for the department. It also weighs if the officer should be allowed to return to duty.
But the panel did not meet after the controversial shootings of Cameron Lamb, 26, in December 2019 or Donnie Sanders, 47, in March 2020.
Prosecutors alleged that police planted evidence to support officers’ claims that Lamb was armed moments before a detective fatally shot him. Sanders was unarmed.
The panel did reviewed four shootings that occurred after Lamb’s homicide and before Sanders’ homicide, but skipped over those two.
The two high-profile shootings took place under former Police Chief Rick Smith. Chief Stacey Graves became leader of the department in December 2022.
“We would not be able to speak for why former Chief Smith did not convene a NERP regarding these instances as he is no longer here,” Capt. Jake Becchina, a spokesman for the police department, said in a statement.
Generally, Becchina said, “the indications related to the usefulness of such a review are to convene a NERP in a much more timely manner.”
However, shootings that occurred under Smith have been reviewed under Graves’ tenure.
Shootings from last year were reviewed in a more timely manner. That includes a triple shooting where two people died. Two of the three were unarmed.
The officer who fired, Blayne Newton, also killed Sanders.
Youlanda Sanders, Donnie Sanders’ older sister, said the panel’s failure to convene only added to questions about her brother’s case.
“I personally think they do need to recommend training,” she said.
Prosecutors declined to file charges against Newton in Donnie Sanders’ death.
Youlanda Sanders said she believes Newton is “reckless” and should be taken off the streets. He is still patrolling.
A lawsuit filed by the Sanders family remains ongoing in federal court.
Former Kansas City police detective Eric DeValkenaere is behind bars.
He was convicted in a 2021 bench trial after a Jackson County judge concluded that DeValkenaere and his partner Sgt. Troy Schwalm did not have an arrest or search warrant or consent to be on the property.
Lamb was fatally wounded as he was backing a pickup truck into his garage.
DeValkenaere was sentenced to six years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.
The Missouri Court of Appeals upheld DeValkenaere’s 2021 conviction and last month, the Missouri Supreme Court declined to review the case.
Laurie and Aqil Bey, Lamb’s parents, said DeValkenaere’s conviction proves a need for a review of the department’s policies and training.
Aqil Bey said “more accountability needs to be applied to these officers,” including what, if any, disciplinary action is taken.
In the years since Lamb’s death, the department has made some significant changes, including outfitting officers with body cameras and bringing in the Missouri State Highway Patrol to investigate police shootings. Those changes were primarily prompted by the protests in the summer of 2020, following the death of George Floyd.
The Beys also said a review of Lamb’s case could still be carried out by the panel.
Becchina said the two cases are not scheduled.
This story was originally published March 27, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
