Family raises money to return man’s body to homeland after Lenexa police shooting
The family of a Grandview man fatally shot by Lenexa police is raising money to send his body back to El Salvador so his mother and others can say goodbye.
Raising those funds comes at a time that family and friends are still grieving the death of Jose Enrique Cartagena Chacon, who died in the early morning hours of June 22.
“We’re seeking accountability and transparency,” his family wrote on a Facebook page created by relatives and friends to honor the young man many refer to as Enrique Cartagena. “This kid was loved by many and you’re not showing us the family the facts as to what led to this. Please help us to understand the great loss of a great human being. “
Chacon, 25, lived with family in Grandview. Police knocked on his relatives’ door about four hours after the incident last month to tell them that Chacon had been shot.
Few details have been provided to the public in the days since the shooting. The only information at this point was in an initial news release from the Lenexa Police Department shortly after Chacon’s death.
Around 3 a.m. that Sunday, police were called to the Lenexa Crossing Apartment Homes, in the 12400 block of West 97th Terrace, to a report of a disturbance involving someone with a gun, according to that news release. It is not clear who called authorities and why.
Once officers arrived at the complex, the release said, they located a person inside a parked vehicle near the pool/clubhouse area.
During the encounter with Chacon, police have said that “at least one Lenexa officer discharged their firearm, striking the individual.”
Since the shooting, two Lenexa police officers have been put on paid administrative leave, which is standard, Officer Danny Chavez, a police spokesman, told The Star.
Family has said that Chacon was shot five times. Lenexa police have said they cannot provide any additional information while the incident is still being investigated.
The Johnson County Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigative Team is handling the case, with the Olathe Police Department serving as the “host agency.” Calling the team in to conduct an independent investigation after a police shooting is standard procedure.
Relatives have asked to see police body camera footage from the morning of the shooting. According to Kansas law, certain families members can view the video within 20 days of the request.
The Star emailed police Thursday to ask when family would be able to view the footage. A police spokesperson did not immediately respond to the query.
Chacon’s family will hold a fundraiser to help pay for funeral expenses at 8 a.m. Sunday at the John Anderson Pavilion Park off 140 in Grandview. They’ll be selling pupusas — griddle-cooked pancakes or flatbread, traditionally from El Salvador — “honoring our great and dear friend.”
The Star’s Taylor O’Connor contributed to this report.
