16 May 2023
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The family of a 50-year-old man living in Kansas City, Kansas who was killed February in a police shooting said their requests to view body cam footage of the incident have been repeatedly denied.
Advocates for police transparency say this situation is not uncommon telling FOX4 that the result is pain for relatives who are confused about what happened to their loved ones.
People in the Kansas City metro have seen how this process recently played out in different cases like Amaree’ya Henderson, the DoorDash driver killed in a KCK police shooting. FOX4 learned his mother will be allowed to view body camera video from that case.
But the situation with 50-year-old John Anderton, killed more than two months prior to the Henderson case, has had no movement, Eric Anderton, John’s younger brother, said.
On Tuesday it was quiet around North 52nd Street and Georgia Avenue. It’s the area where, on Feb. 3, John Anderton was on a bike leaving the scene of a double-overdose after paramedics arrived. No one died as a result of those overdoses.
John Anderton made it about a half mile away before some sort of interaction with a KCK police officer. That interaction has not been elaborated on.
Eric Anderton tells FOX4 the only information he’s gotten so far is that his brother was killed.
“They were real quick to say he had a gun after the fact,” Eric Anderton said. “What’s a brief contact? That’s very vague. Does that mean the cop pulled up and he took off running? I mean, is that a brief contact? I don’t…No one knows.”
Eric Anderton lives in Iowa. He says his family’s request to see body camera footage was denied.
FOX4 asked a spokesperson for KCKPD about the situation and were pointed to these criteria for body cam requests.
To qualify to view body camera footage you must either be the subject of the recording, a parent or legal guardian if subject is under 18, an attorney for the subject, or an heir at law.
Only the person making the request will be allowed to view the footage and will do so accompanied by an officer, according to the criteria.
Nikki Richardson, a community organizer, has been working with the Anderton family on their request as a part of the group Justice for Wyandotte.
“John is an older gentleman. His parents are no longer here. His daughter’s only 3-years-old. She can’t sign off on anything. But he has plenty of brothers and sisters that just want to know exactly what happened,” Richardson said.
However, the family shared hope after learning the mother of Amaree’ya Henderson has had movement toward seeing her son’s footage, a decision viewed as happening at the discretion of police administration.
“Already said he’s going to release their body cam footage. Why was ours denied? Why can’t we get the same fair treatment as them?” Eric Anderton said.
“He was actually attempting to save someone’s life before the police were called. He was giving CPR trying to save his friend’s life who was overdosing at the time,” Richardson said. “So for a person who’s generally kind-hearted who was having a heroic moment to lose his life for riding a bicycle away from the scene should enrage people just as much.”
KCPD is the outside agency investigating Anderton’s shooting. That investigation has not yet been turned over to the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office but, according to a KCPD spokesperson, that is expected to happen soon.