Body cam footage to be shown to family of man killed in June by Lenexa police
Still searching for answers, the family of a man killed by Lenexa police in late June will soon get to see the body camera footage from that morning.
Ben Stelter-Embry, an attorney for the relatives of Jose Enrique Cartagena Chacon, said he has been in contact with Lenexa officials to determine an opportunity in the coming weeks.
“We’re just trying to work with the city in scheduling a time that the family can come and view the relevant body cam footage for the night in question,” Stelter-Embry said. “The family is anxious to see the video to further their understanding of what happened.”
Police have shared little about what transpired in the early morning hours of June 22. No details have been released about what specifically led up to the shooting outside the Lenexa Crossing Apartment Homes, in the 12400 block of West 97th Terrace.
Officers were called to the area around 3 a.m. that Sunday after a report of a disturbance involving someone with a gun. Once police arrived at the complex, they located an individual inside a parked vehicle near the pool/clubhouse area, an initial release from authorities said. It is not clear who called 911 and why.
During the encounter with Chacon, police have said that “at least one Lenexa officer discharged their firearm, striking the individual.” Chacon was transported by Johnson County Med-Act to a nearby hospital and was later pronounced deceased, police said.
The 25-year-old man, who was known by many as Enrique, lived with relatives in Grandview. Police knocked on the family’s door around 7 a.m. that morning to tell them that Chacon had been shot.
The shooting is being investigated by the Johnson County Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigative Team, and the Olathe Police Department is serving as the host agency.
Body camera footage is expected to provide clarity, for family members and their attorneys, on what led up to the shooting.
Lenexa Police Chief Dawn Layman said in an email that she has met with “different family members several times” since the incident. When the investigation is complete, she said, it will be sent to the Johnson County District Attorney’s office for review, which is standard procedure in such cases.
“We do not yet have an estimated date for the investigation’s completion,” Layman said, “but remain committed to transparency and accountability through the process.”
Logistics of Kansas body camera law
In early July, the ACLU of Kansas called for the “immediate release” of the body camera footage from the June 22 shooting. The release, the nonprofit said, would allow for transparency and accountability.
“This tragedy cannot be ignored and police violence can not remain unchecked in Kansas,” the ACLU posted on social media.
In Kansas, body camera footage is considered a criminal investigation record. Under state law, that classification gives police departments or other public officials like district attorneys broad discretion in deciding whether the recordings get released or stay shielded from public view, even after a case is closed.
The law, though, says that a police agency “shall allow” certain relatives to view the footage within 20 days of a request.
A relative of Chacon told The Star that the family asked to see the footage shortly after they were informed on June 22 that the young man had been shot and killed by police. Attorneys for the family submitted a request to the city on July 15, the police chief said.
One of the main reasons for the delay is just finding a time that works, both parties said.
In this case, there also are logistics involved because of the law’s wording. Among the limited family members who are able to view the footage is a spouse, but Chacon was not married. Another is a parent, but his mother lives in El Salvador.
Stelter-Embry said Lenexa police have agreed to let family members who live in the Kansas City area view the footage.
This story was originally published July 30, 2025 at 10:11 AM.
