Former Kansas undersheriff loses certification

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The former undersheriff of Barber County has had his law enforcement officer certification revoked.

Last year, a jury found Virgil Brewer not guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the 2017 death of an unarmed man.

Prosecutors said Brewer shot Steven Myers with a beanbag at close range. The bag split open and emptied pellets into Myers’ chest, killing him.

The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training reviewed Brewer. KSCPOST is a 12-member body that oversees law enforcement training. It can revoke an officer’s certification if the officer fails to meet the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Act requirements.

It revoked Brewer’s certification on May 30.

According to the KSCPOST order:

Brewer never warned Myers that he was about to be shot.

Brewer used bean bag ammunition he got from a coworker at his previous job in Texas, and Brewer had not been trained on how to use it.

Brewer’s shot was inconsistent with training standards for bean bag ammunition.

The rectangle bean bag he used had been discontinued for several years due to the likelihood of causing penetrating injuries compared to rounded bean bags.

The former coworker in Texas believed he told Brewer that the bean bag should not be used on a person.

KSCPOST also pointed to an unrelated incident in 2017, where Brewer allegedly pointed a shotgun at an unruly inmate in jail and threatened to shoot him, causing fear among the inmates.

The commission said Brewer used excessive physical force, which is unprofessional conduct. KSCPOST also said Brewer’s conduct shows that he “has failed to maintain good moral character sufficient to warrant the public trust in him as a law enforcement officer.”

Based on its review, the commission ordered that Brewer’s certification be revoked. Brewer was ordered to surrender and return to KSCPOST all evidence of his certification as a law enforcement officer.