What to know behind endorsement of councilman from convicted ex-KCPD officer | Opinion

Kansas City 1st District Councilman Nathan Willett accepted an endorsement from Eric DeValkenaere, the former KCPD detective convicted of killing Cameron Lamb. Columnist Toriano Porter argues the move is an affront to Lamb’s family and the Black community.

FULL STORY: Endorsement from a convicted ex-KCPD officer an affront to social justice | Opinion

Here are key takeaways:

• Willett, a Republican candidate for Missouri’s 6th Congressional District, is among candidates vying to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Sam Graves.

• DeValkenaere is the first and only KCPD officer ever convicted of killing an unarmed Black man. He fatally shot Cameron Lamb, a 26-year-old father of three, in December 2019.

• Willett told The Star that DeValkenaere and his wife Sarah are “great friends” who “have done so much good for our community,” adding that he “firmly stands with law enforcement and all first responder families throughout Missouri.”

• DeValkenaere was convicted of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. The conviction was upheld on appeal.

• DeValkenaere is free because former Gov. Mike Parson commuted his six-year prison sentence, over objections from former Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker and civil rights advocates.

• Baker questioned whether Willett had read the trial transcripts and court rulings in the Lamb case, according to The Star.

• Porter calls on Willett to reject the endorsement and apologize to Lamb’s family, including his mother, Laurie Bey, and his three children.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.