An astonishing verdict in Kansas City:
A Kansas City police detective was found guilty of manslaughter in the 2019 killing of a Black man who was fatally shot in his own backyard.
Jackson County Circuit Court Judge J. Dale Youngs announced his decision Friday afternoon.
For some reason, no idea why, it was a Bench Trial, no jury for the defense to pack. But it was certainly a no-brainer. A flat-out murder:
Lamb, 26, was shot after officers investigating a crash reported a red pickup chasing a purple Ford Mustang. Officers in a police helicopter spotted the truck driven by Lamb and followed the vehicle.
Prosecutors said there was no evidence that anyone had dialed 911, that anyone was hurt or that a crime had taken place when DeValkenaere and another detective arrived at Lamb’s home at 4154 College Ave.
Lamb was fatally wounded as he was backing a pickup into his garage, prosecutors alleged, saying it took DeValkenaere nine seconds from the time he walked from the front of the residence to the back of the house before he opened fire on Lamb.
DeValkenaere’s conduct was “reckless,” action prosecutors said, and violated the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.
“The state of Missouri finds it absolutely unreasonable that he did this with a loaded gun,” said assistant prosecutor Dion Sankar. “We find it unreasonable because there was no reason to enter the private residence with a gun, because there was no pressing reason pressing him to move. That was his choice.”
During the trial, prosecutors also alleged the crime scene was staged and evidence was planted.
At the time that DeValkenaere shot Lamb, he was not armed and the gun that police said he had with him was actually inside of a staircase near the garage, prosecutors said.
This was the FIRST TIME in 80 YEARS that a Kansas City Police officer was charged with killing a black man.
Well, THAT'S enough said!