Ex-Jackson County sheriff’s deputy who shot woman in back gets 180 days in jail
A former Jackson County sheriff’s deputy who shot a woman in the back in 2019 was sentenced to 180 days in jail.
Lauren N. Michael, 31, appeared Thursday before Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Campbell, who handed down six months in jail in addition to four years probation and a six-year suspended prison sentence.
Michael declined to make a statement during the more than three-hour hearing.
In January, Michael pleaded guilty to felony first-degree assault.
On Aug. 8. 2019, Michael began chasing Brittany Simek, who had been riding on a Bird scooter that was traveling in the wrong direction near 37th and Main Street. Simek was located sitting on concrete steps in the 4000 block of Oak Street and a struggle ensued.
As Simek attempted to run, Michael fired four shots. One of the bullets hit Simek’s cellphone. Another bullet broke her sacrum, a bony structure connected to the pelvis, and had to be surgically removed. Simek also had four Taser probes lodged in her body.
The 27-year-old Coast Guard veteran took the stand Thursday, testifying that her hands were in the air when Michael confronted her and pulled her to the ground. Simek was tased, pushed the weapon away and began to run, she said. As she was running, she was shot. She began running in a zigzag to dodge the bullets as she was “gushing out blood,” she said.
After Simek made it back to her apartment, and afraid to call police for help, she made a tourniquet. Simek said police barged into her apartment and dragged her to an ambulance.
Bullet fragments remain embedded in her body and she is unable to run, Simek said, and she also suffers psychologically.
Simek said she wanted Michael to take accountability for her negligence, disregard for human life and for letting down the Kansas City community.
At the time of the shooting, the deputy said Simek took her Taser away from her and shocked her with it. But investigators later cast doubt on that story. The Taser cartridges had been deployed within three seconds, which did not leave enough time for the physical altercation Michael had described, prosecutors said.
The plea agreement called for a minimum of 120 days shock time in custody with three years probation and a six year suspended prison sentence. Jackson County prosecutors could have sought up to six years in prison under the agreement.
Prosecutor Dion Sankar asked Judge Campbell to sentence Michael to six years — one year for each of the bullets she fired and another for being dishonest in her statements about the incident. He told the court that Michael was “absolutely unreasonable” when she shot Simek in the back.
“This was hunting,” he said.
Sankar declined to comment following Campbell’s decision.
Defense attorney Molly Hastings argued that Michael had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of the shooting and that she would not reoffend.
The shooting wasn’t the first time Michael had opened fire on someone.
In May 2017, she was working off-duty security at a Raytown Walmart when she shot and killed Donald Sneed III, who was suspected of shoplifting. In this case too, Michael claimed the suspect took her stun gun and shocked her with it.
No charges were filed in Sneed’s death.
Judge Campbell said Michael had a “very troubling history” of using her firearm and admonished her for putting blame on Simek in a written sentencing report.
“I don’t feel like 120 days is quite enough,” he said.
Michael will report to the Andrew County Jail on April 2.
Sneed’s mother was allowed to make a statement remotely, following Campbell’s sentencing.
Clearly anguished, Gayle Sneed said she was angered hearing how a second person had been tased and shot by Michael.
“I can’t, not now,” she said of forgiving Michael.
Michael was an employee with the sheriff’s office until Jan. 26 when she was terminated and is barred from law enforcement.
This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 5:01 PM.
