A Jackson County, Mo., grand jury has indicted a Kansas City officer in connection with the nonfatal shooting of a 37-year-old man last June.
Prosecutors did not release details of the shooting incident, but family and friends told media last summer that the man was unarmed when the officer shot him in the face June 24 in the 6400 block of East 15th Terrace.
Shortly after the shooting, police officials said officers had gone to a house looking for a wanted person. Someone matching that person’s description ran from the house. An officer fired his weapon when he believed the person was about to shoot him.
The officer, 31, faces charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the case.
Various law enforcement and legal sources the Kansas City Star Friday that they could not recall the last time a Kansas City officer was indicted after a shooting.
In an internal message to department members, Police Chief Darryl Forté said he believed the officer was “acting in the best interest of public safety when he was placed in that situation.”
The Kansas City Fraternal Order of Police released a written statement expressing strong support for the officer, whom it described as an impeccable officer with a flawless record. The FOP asked that the media respect his privacy as he prepares to “fight these baseless charges.
