Grand jury charges 2 KCPD officers with excessive force

BREAKING TONIGHT --ONE KANSAS CITY FAMILYIS CALLING FOR THERESIGNATION OF KANSASCITY POLICE CHIEF -- RICKSMITH.IT COMES AFTER A GRANDJURY INDICTED TWOKANSAS CITY POLICEOFFICERS -- ACCUSED OFASSAULTING ATRANSGENDER WOMANDURING AN ARREST.THE FRATERNAL ORDEROF POLICE SAYS THE USEOF FORCE IN THE ARRESTWAS JUSTIFIED.OFFICERS MATTHEWBRUMMETT AND CHARLESPRICHARD ARE CHARGEDWITH ASSAULT -- ACCUSEDOF INJURING BRIANNA HILLLAST MAY IN FRONT OF ABEAUTY SUPPLY STORE.THE ATTORNEYREPRESENTING HILL'SFAMILY PROVIDED 41ACTION NEWS WITH VIDEOAND PICTURES HE SAYSWERE TAKEN DURING THEARREST -- AND AFTER.WE WANT TO WARN YOUSOME OF THE IMAGESMIGHT BE HARD TO LOOKAT.THIS IS VIDEO SHOWINGTHE ARREST LAST MAY.THE OFFICERS AREACCUSED OF SLAMMINGHILL'S FACE AGAINST THESIDEWALK, KNEEING HERIN THE FACE, TORSO ANDRIBS -- AND FORCING HERARMS OVER HER HEADWHILE CUFFED.THE ATTORNEY SENT USPICTURES OF HILL AFTERTHE ARREST.ACCORDING TO THEAFFIDAVIT -- OFFICERS SAYHILL RESISTED ARREST --AND THAT'S WHEN THEYTOOK HER TO THEGROUND.BUT ACCORDING TOPROSECUTOR JEANPETERS BAKER -- THEVIDEO YOU JUST SAW -- ISWHAT SPURRED HER TOTAKE THE CASE TO THEGRAND JURY.SHE WROTE A LETTER TOKANSAS CITY POLICECHIEF RICK SMITH ABOUTTHE VIDEO.STATING -- MY OFFICE DIDNOT BECOME AWARE OFTHE EVENTSSURROUNDING HERARREST ON MAY 24, 2019UNTIL A MEMBER OF THEPUBLIC CIRCULATED ACELL PHONE VIDEOTRIGGERING NEWS MEDIAOF THE INCIDENT.ALSO IN THE LETTER -BAKER SAYS SHEREQUESTED A PROBABLECAUSE STATEMENT.BUT QUOTE -- MY OFFICEWAS TOLD VIA EMAIL THATK-C-P-D WOULD NOT BEPROVIDING A PROBABLECAUSE STATEMENT INCONNECTION WITH THATCASE, AND THAT YOU HADPERSONALLY BEENCONSULTED ANDCONCURRED WITH THATDECISION.TONIGHT WE SPOKEEXCLUSIVELY WITH THEATTORNEY REPRESENTINGTHE FAMILY OF MISS HILL --WHO SAYS THE FACT JEANPETERS BAKER HAD TO GOTO A GRAND JURY -- ISUNBELIEVABLE.DAVID SMITH/ATTORNEYREPRESENTING BRIANNA HILL'SFAMILY"the prosecutors office askedfor thedepartment to issue a probablecause statement, it happenseveryday whether the officers thinkthere'sreally a crime or not they dothis theprosecutor jean peters bakeraskedfor a probable cause statementandthey they made the prosecutor gotoa grand jury that's absurd,chiefsmith should resign.WE REACHED OUT TO THEKANSAS CITY POLICEDEPARTMENT FOR ASTATEMENT.JUST MINUTES AGO --POLICE CHIEF RICK SMITHISSUED THIS RESPONSE.INVESTIGATORSDETERMINED THAT THEREWAS NO PROBABLE CAUSETO CONCLUDE THEOFFICERS BROKE THELAW.THAT IS WHY OURDEPARTMENT DID NOTSUBMIT A "PROBABLECAUSE" AFFIDAVIT TO THEPROSECUTOR.HOWEVER, WE DIDSUBMIT THE ENTIRE FILETO FEDERALPROSECUTORS, THE FBI,AND THE COUNTYPROSECUTOR.WE DO THAT IN EVERYMATTER WHERE SOMEONECOULD POSSIBLY ALLEGE ACIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATION.WE ALSO HEARD ARESPONSE FROM THEFRATERNAL ORDER OFPOLICE IN KANSAS CITY.QUOTE -- THE F-O-P ISAWARE OF THEUNJUSTIFIEDMISDEMEANOR CHARGESFILED AGAINST TWOEXEMPLARY POLICEOFFICERS OF THE KANSASCITY POLICE DEPARTMENT.THIS IS YET ANOTHEREXAMPLE OF APOLITICALLY MOTIVATEDPROSECUTION THAT ISUNFORTUNATELYBECOMING ALL TOOCOMMON PLACE ACROSSOUR COUNTRY.THE DEPARTMENT FULLYINVESTIGATED THISINCIDENT AND ITDETERMINED THAT THEFORCE USED WASAPPROPRIATE ANDREASONABLE UNDER THECIRCUMSTANCES.IN FACT, THEDEPARTMENT'STHOROUGH ANDCOMPLETE INVESTIGATIONIMMEDIATELY FOLLOWINGTHE ARREST DEFINITELYSHOWED THAT THEARRESTEE PURPOSEFULLYSTRUCK HER HEADAGAINST THE CONCRETEAND THAT THE OFFICER'SSUBSEQUENT ACTIONS OFCONTROLLING HER HEADPREVENTED THEARRESTEE FROM DOINGADDITIONAL HARM TOHERSELF.THROUGH THE F-O-P --THE ATTORNEY FOROFFICER BRUMMETT ANDOFFICER PRICHARDRELEASED THISSTATEMENT.THEY MAINTAIN THEFORCE THEY USED WASREASONABLE UNDER THETOTALITY OF THECIRCUMSTANCES.THEY VEHEMENTLYDISPUTE THE BASIS OFTHESE CHARGES ANDBELIEVE THEY WILL BEULTIMATELY EXONERATEDIN COURT.OFFICER BRUMMETT ANDPRICHARD ARE SET TOAPPEAR BEFORE A JUDGEIN AUGUST.THE VICTIM -- BRIANNAHILL -- WAS KILLEDMONTHS LATER IN ASHOOTING.THAT SUSPECT IS INCUSTODY.THIS IS STILL ADEVELOPING STORY.WE HAVE MORE ON THESTATEMENTS FROM EACHSIDE ON OUR WEBSIT