Independence Police identify officers involved in fatal shooting. What took so long? | Opinion
We finally know the names of the Independence police officers involved in a fatal shooting that took the lives of Maria Pike and her 2-month-old daughter Destinii. My question is why did it take months to release their identities?
As part of 21st century policing best practices, law enforcement agencies in other cities such as Omaha readily share such pertinent information within a day or two of a deadly shooting. Make no mistake: Independence, the fifth largest city in Missouri, should too.
At a press conference Thursday at Independence Police headquarters, Chief Adam Dustman identified the three officers involved as Jordan White, Chad Cox and Derek Karr.
All three remain employed by the police department, Dustman said. Karr has returned to full duty but White and Cox remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation, Dustman said.
“I have full confidence that both officers White and Cox will return to full duty in the future,” he said.
Mother and child killed
White fired the shots that struck both Pike, of Independence, and her baby, according to Dustman. Cox was inside Pike’s Oval Spring apartment when White fired his service weapon. Karr arrived at the apartment with a mental health professional just as White began shooting, according to Dustman.
White, a 17-year police veteran, has served two stints with Independence police for a total of four years, Dustman said. Cox has 23 years of law enforcement experience, including 10 in Independence. Karr has been with the agency for just two years, Dustman said.
While I’m reluctant to beat a dead horse, I do think this call for transparency bears repeating: When a police officer fatally shoots a woman and her infant child the public has a right to know the identity of the officer or officers involved immediately.
The shooting occurred Nov. 7, 2024. White fired at Pike — who was holding Destinii — when Pike raised a concealed butcher knife and moved toward officers, The Star reported. Both mother and daughter died.
Recently, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson absolved the officers involved of legal wrongdoing. Pike’s family and other community advocates associated with them didn’t agree with Johnson’s decision and I can’t say I blame them. After she was struck once, Pike, who was experiencing a mental health crisis, dropped the knife and was shot in the back, the family contends.
After watching unedited video of the fatal encounter, it’s difficult for me to determine White’s culpability in these deaths. But we should at least know his history of public service and whether he has used deadly force while on duty before.
Officer names should be released
Unlike Kansas City’s state-controlled police department, the Independence City Council gets a say in how the department operates there. I call on the council to draft an ordinance that would authorize City Manager Zach Walker or Dustman to release to the public pertinent information regarding officer involved shootings and the use of excessive force.
Any proposal presented should be called Destinii’s Law — that poor baby did not deserve to die at such a young age. We must not let her death or that of her mother be in vain.
Whenever a police officer discharges his firearm or uses force to make an arrest, the public has the right to know the names of the officers involved, their rank, years of service and any prior use of force incidents or deadly shootings. Disclosing this information within 24 hours is good public policy, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
The IACP’s guidelines on critical steps to take after officer-involved shootings report that an agency should provide the following in timely manner:
- As much information to the community as appropriate at each investigative stage.
- Basic facts of the case within 24 hours.
In Kansas City, the only reason we know of repeat offenders there — officers with more than one deadly shooting or excessive arrest on their resume — is because of civil rights or wrongful death lawsuits. Independence must do better on this front.
Like most of us, I believe in due process and letting the legal process play out — and Independence officers must be afforded those same rights. But with great power comes an even greater responsibility. And taking someone’s life while on duty is a great responsibility that should never be taken lightly.
In the name of transparency and public trust, Independence must change how it releases information in these often regrettable situations. It shouldn’t take months to learn the name of officers that fire their weapons while on duty.
This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 5:06 AM.
