Family of Charles Adair to see body cam footage of restraint before his death
The family of Charles Adair, the man whose death in the Wyandotte County jail was ruled a homicide, will see body camera footage of the events leading to his death for the first time this week.
Attorneys representing Adair’s family announced they will see body camera footage of jail deputies restraining Adair during an altercation at the jail in July 2025.
The family and their attorneys will address media at the Wyandotte County Courthouse as a federal lawsuit alleging wrongful death and criminal case accusing one of the deputies of second-degree murder are ongoing.
Adair was found unresponsive in his cell July 5 after one deputy, Richard Fatherley, had knelt on his back for over a minute, using a widely criticized prone restraint method as Adair yelled for help.
A medical examiner found Adair had died from “mechanical asphyxia,” which occurs when an object or force prevents a person from breathing. His death was ruled a homicide.
Adair was being held in the jail on misdemeanor traffic violations and had been suffering from pre-existing medical conditions before the altercation, according to court records.
Fatherley has been charged with second-degree murder with an alternative charge of involuntary manslaughter. He is also named a defendant in a wrongful death suit filed April 10 against Sheriff Daniel Soptic and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County.
