KCKPD officer charged with assault allegedly punched, strangled girlfriend: court docs
A Kansas City, Kansas police officer charged Thursday with five felonies stemming from domestic abuse allegedly beat his girlfriend and tried to strangle her during a wedding reception last week.
On Sept. 3, the morning after the alleged abuse, the girlfriend walked into the Kansas City Police Department’s East Patrol station at 2640 Prospect Ave. to make a report. As she met with police, investigators found apparent injuries to her face and neck that she alleged came when Deotis Brown, 33, punched her several times during a fight.
Since the incident, the woman also reported being harassed by Brown and told Kansas City police detectives of a time when he pointed a firearm at her, according to charging documents filed in Jackson County Circuit Court.
The allegations against Brown came to light as prosecutors on Thursday afternoon announced the officer was facing serious criminal charges in Kansas and Missouri.
Brown was charged Thursday in Wyandotte County with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and intimidation of a witness or victim. If convicted, he faces up to 80 months in prison and will be terminated from the police department, officials said.
The Wyandotte County case is related to a Feb. 7 domestic dispute, District Attorney Mark Dupree said, which was disclosed when the woman made the report to Kansas City, Missouri police.
Last week, Brown was charged with two counts of second-degree domestic assault and one count of third-degree domestic assault in Jackson County.
Court papers say the woman, only identified by her initials, had apparent bruises on her left arm and back when she approached police to report Brown. Swelling and bruising was also noticed under her left eye, along with scratches on her neck and face, and she was taken to the hospital for treatment of her injuries.
During a police interview, the woman reported she and Brown were in a long-term relationship and that the abuse happened as they were at a wedding reception the night before. As they were at the Kansas City event hall, she said, Brown followed her into a private area of the venue to talk about someone Brown had been dancing with.
As they were talking, she said, Brown grabbed her by the face and tried to kiss her. She slapped him across the face and told her not to touch her, causing Brown “to become angry” and begin chasing her around the room, she said.
The woman described throwing a plastic bottle and knocking over chairs as she tried to get away from Brown. That’s when he grabbed her by the arm, threw her onto a couch and started choking her, she told police.
She started to “black out” as she struck him in the face, she said, and Brown allegedly responded by hitting her in the face at least two times.
After getting separated from him, the woman called a friend over FaceTime to pick her up. She saved a screenshot of her bruised face taken during that call, according to court papers.
The woman also shared with Kansas City police a recording of a phone conversation she had with Brown following the incident. In the recording, Brown allegedly said he was “out of line” that night, court papers say.
On Sept. 3, the day the incident was reported to Kansas City police, Kansas City, Kansas police officers went to Brown’s residence and took him into custody. He was interviewed by Kansas City detectives in Wyandotte County headquarters.
During his police interview, Brown confirmed that he had been in a relationship with the woman for about two years. He said the night that they were at the reception, he had between six and seven drinks but was only “buzzed.”
Brown said his girlfriend accused him of “grinding” with another woman there. He told detectives he was trying to avoid a fight during a friend’s wedding, but that she continued to argue with him.
At one point, Brown said, his girlfriend struck him in the face, prompting a “natural reaction” from him where he hit her back with his right hand. He also described a struggle between them — at most 45 seconds long, he said — on a couch inside the event hall that ended after she ran into the bathroom.
Brown allegedly admitted that he likely gave her a black eye. But he denied putting his hands around her neck or chasing her around the room. When shown photographs of her injuries, Brown told detectives he did not know how she could have an injured lip, scratches on her neck or a bruised arm, according to court records.
In requesting a warrant for Brown’s arrest, detectives alleged Brown posed a threat to his girlfriend and had “demonstrated erratic and violent behavior” toward her. Since filing her report, his girlfriend reported to police that Brown had appeared at her house on multiple occasions.
She also told detectives that Brown once pointed a gun at her, though court papers contained no further details of that allegation.
Brown has been with the department since 2017. He is suspended without pay.
During the news conference announcing criminal charges against Brown on Thursday, Kansas City, Kansas Police Chief Karl Oakman highlighted the case as a demonstration that officers under his leadership will be punished if they face credible allegations of committing a crime.
“With any crime, I think no one’s above the law and everyone will be held accountable,” Oakman said.
This story was originally published September 8, 2022 at 6:57 PM.
