Charles Adair’s family wants video of his death in Wyandotte County jail public
Body camera footage from the day of Charles Adair’s death shows Wyandotte County sheriff’s deputy Richard Fatherley kneeling on his back for 1 minute, 25 seconds, attorneys representing Adair’s family said during a Tuesday evening news conference.
The family of Adair, a Kansas City, Kansas, man allegedly killed by a Wyandotte County sheriff’s deputy in July, is calling for authorities to release video evidence related to his death to the public for the sake of accountability and transparency.
“If they did nothing wrong, then show the video,” national civil rights attorney Ben Crump said.
Attorneys involved in the case of the 50-year-old man’s death were permitted to see body camera footage earlier Tuesday, although Adair’s family has not been allowed to view it, Crump said during the news conference.
Crump said that footage shows that Adair used what breath he had remaining to call for help as Fatherley knelt on him. He described Fatherley as notably larger in size than Adair, who had a series of health conditions and who had just received treatment for a leg wound in the jail’s infirmary.
Adair’s mother, siblings and close loved ones joined their attorneys, local advocates and faith leaders for the news conference at the altar of Friendship Baptist Church in Kansas City.
The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office last week charged Fatherley with second-degree murder, or, alternatively, involuntary manslaughter, for his role in Adair’s death. Fatherley will not be booked into jail leading up to his November court date, District Attorney Mark Dupree said in a news conference last week.
Adair died after an officer knelt on his back during a dispute in the Wyandotte County Detention Center, according to an autopsy obtained by The Star. His autopsy ruled his death a homicide due to mechanical asphyxia, contributed to by two existing health conditions.
He had been detained in the jail due to missing court appearances related to traffic violations.
“A traffic violation should not issue a death sentence,” Crump said. Khadijah Hardaway, co-founder of Justice for Wyandotte, said officials across the state line need to end the criminalization of traffic violations.
Adair’s family is working with Crump and attorneys Harry Daniels and Sue-Ann Robinson. Leadership within local advocacy group Justice for Wyandotte have also been representing and supporting Adair’s family.
Crump, who has previously represented families of victims of violence and police brutality in several nationally-recognized cases, announced in a Friday news release that he would be representing Adair’s family.
Crump has drawn comparisons between Adair’s case and the 2020 death of George Floyd, a Black man who, like Adair, died after an officer knelt on him and disrupted his breathing. Crump represented Floyd’s family in the aftermath of his death and secured the family a $27 million settlement in its lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis.
The Adair family has not yet filed a civil lawsuit related to the case, given Crump and his team are working to gather more evidence at this time. Although, Crump said, they will pursue every legal option to find justice for Adair’s family and three children.
Attorneys confirmed during Tuesday’s news conference that Adair had diabetes and that his leg needed to be amputated, which was why he needed medical treatment while in jail.
Family wants transparency, remembrance
Adair’s siblings described him as fun to be around, mild mannered and someone who “didn’t meet a stranger.” He would host family gatherings at his home to watch Sunday football games, they said.
Adair’s brother, Anthony Adair, said that through this case, he hopes to bring policy change that would allow families to view footage of their incarcerated loved ones. He said Wyandotte County officials have long protected their own through a “good ol’ boys” system that needs to be broken down.
“As a family we will not forget what his love meant to us,” his sister, Erica Adair, said. “What we will do is forever cherish his memories, his laughs.”
This story was originally published September 23, 2025 at 9:58 PM.
