Barber County, KS — The widow of a Barber County man has been fighting for the release of the video showing police execute her unarmed husband since they killed him on Oct. 6. Then, without any warning, months later, the Barber County Sheriff’s Department released the video—but it came with a catch.
“You know I could have been in the living room watching TV and it could have just come on. No one notified us that they had released it,” said Kristina Myers, wife of Steven Myers who was killed by police in October.
The family’s legal counsel had been fighting for the release of the video and had gotten nowhere for months.
Michael Kuckleman, counsel for the family told KSN “We don’t know why it was released. Up until yesterday, the sheriff had been arguing that it was protected under the exception for criminal investigation.”
Perhaps the reason they took so long to release the video is that they were trying to cover up the fact that the shooter removed his body camera just before firing a beanbag round at point-blank range into Myers’ chest.
Although beanbag rounds are known as less lethal weapons, when they are fired at close range—especially into the chest or head—they can and have killed people.
Conveniently for the sheriff’s department, although the other videos show Undersheriff Virgil “Dusty” Brewer—the officer who fired the shot—none of them provide a clear enough angle to show the violation of department policy.
“Did you have a body camera?” Myers’ attorney asked Brewer at a hearing last month in which a judge would decide if the department violated the law. Brewer acknowledged that he did have a body camera. However, he then claimed that it was fixed to his sun visor on his patrol vehicle while he shot Myers.
Adding to the already controversial killing of Myers is the fact that after Brewer shot, all the other officers began turning their cameras off too.
Police say they were responding to a call of a drunk man with a “long gun” when they found Myers. However, Myers had no such weapon when he was killed.
As the Wichita Eagle notes, Kuckelman has contended that Myers was not armed and was complying with a command to come out of a shed when he was hit at close distance with a beanbag round, fired from a shotgun, that hit him in the chest.
During the hearing last month, Kuckelman asked Sheriff Lonnie Small if it was within policy for deputies to remove their body cameras before grabbing a gun and shooting someone. Small said deputies have discretion on when to use their cameras.
However, as Kuckelman noted, the policy from the department clearly states, “All officers will wear the issued ‘Body Cam’ video camera on the front of their uniform in a place that will afford the best view … to the area in front of the officer.”
The policy also states that “the camera will be utilized when at all possible on all major incidents … .”
When asked by Kuckelman if this was a “major incident,” the sheriff said, “yes,” clearly admitting that his undersheriff violated policy.
Kuckelman said that if the Sheriff’s Office had “complied with their own policies and procedures that day (of the shooting), Steven Myers would be alive.”
Indeed, had Brewer not shot a 12-gauge beanbag round from his shotgun into the chest of Myers at point-blank range—a clear violation—Steven Myers would be alive. At the very least, if Brewer would have been wearing his body camera that night, there would be evidence of his crimes and a potential to hold him accountable.
Now, a widow is going broke paying tens of thousands of dollars that she doesn’t have just seek justice for her husband’s death.
#1: sneakypete To: Deckard (#0)
If that is the case,why bothered to waste the taxpayer's money to buy them? Does his brother in law own the shop they bought them from?
sneakypete posted on 2018-01-03 08:20:00 Reply Private Reply
#2: Stoner To: sneakypete (#1)
Stoner posted on 2018-01-03 09:29:53 Reply Private Reply
#3: Gatlin To: Deckard (#0)
You have become so accustomed to posting lies from your trashy reference sources that you do so even when there is no clear reason....and when the lies are easily disproved, this leaves everyone in a quandary to scratch their heads while trying to understand the motive behind the deceptions.
You assist in making hoaxes spread with suck lightening speed and with a motive that only appears to be creating sparking angry backlashes from a very few people who ignorantly take what they read at face value. You continually try to welcome people into your world of “alternative facts” which is a bewildering maze of false claims. But only a couple of posters is accepting the invitation.
Pew Research Center conducted a recent survey that found 64% of Americans who follow news said that the made-up news stories of the type you consistently post caused confusion about the basic facts involving current events and issues.
Is that your goal with all your malicious postings....to create confusion about the basic facts involving current events and issues? If that is not your goal....then what is?
Ultimately, there’s an uncomfortable truth you need to address, Deckard. Anaïs Nin said it best, “We don't see the world as it is, we see it as we are”. The problem of working out who to trust and who not to believe has been a facet of human life for ages.
I will now leave you with this sage observation from Will Moy when he said, “people are quicker to assume they are being lied to but less quick to assume people they agree with are lying, which is a dangerous tendency”. You, Deckard, are living daily with that “dangerous tendency” and you are not coping with it very well.
Gatlin posted on 2018-01-03 14:29:18 Reply Private Reply
#4: Hondo68 To: Gatlin, lying tater, boot licker (#3)
And now it's been solved... You're a LIAR!
It's all so clear now, thanks for the heads up.
Hondo68 posted on 2018-01-03 15:27:39 Reply Private Reply
#5: Deckard To: Gatlin (#3)
Wow - you are now taking advice from a hedonistic adulteress who had at least one abortion and is best known for being one of the first women in the modern West to explore fully the realm of erotic writing?
Excuse me while I laugh my ass of at you.
Deckard posted on 2018-01-03 17:34:27 Reply Private Reply
#6: Gatlin To: Deckard (#5)
She may be all of that and more, but after you finish with your nervous laughter evoked from embarrassment and discomfort, the fact remains that she has you pegged in that you don't see the world as it is, you see it as you are. You still need to ultimately face that uncomfortable truth..
And more truth you need to face is:
Gatlin posted on 2018-01-03 18:54:28 Reply Private Reply
#7: Deckard To: Gatlin (#6)
There you go again.
Who gives a crap what a porn writer has to say? What next - words of wisdom from Hugh Hefner?
Deckard posted on 2018-01-04 02:11:01 Reply Private Reply
#8: sneakypete To: Deckard (#7)
Are YOU a one-dimensional robot? A "One Trick Pony"?
If not,what makes you think she is?
sneakypete posted on 2018-01-04 11:06:47 Reply Private Reply
#9: Deckard To: sneakypete (#8)
It's noteworthy because Gatlin has made it known with his holier-than-thou attitude and his long-winded screeds that he is the arbiter of morality.
The woman he is fond of quoting is basically a slut who writes about sex.
Do some homework on Anaïs Nin.
Deckard posted on 2018-01-04 11:14:30 Reply Private Reply
#10: Gatlin To: Deckard (#7)
You betcha, when they are relative to descriptively portraying and thoroughly explaining the ignorant asshole you are.
Why not ...
Gatlin posted on 2018-01-04 11:50:49 Reply Private Reply
#11: sneakypete To: Deckard (#9)
Thanks for the explanation. Now it makes sense.
I have better things to do with my time than research her,though.
sneakypete posted on 2018-01-04 12:53:38 Reply Private Reply
#12: Deckard To: Gatlin (#10)
Somehow I just can't picture a self-described Puritan and holier-than-thou schoolmarm like you perusing the pages of "Playboy" for scintillating advice.
Deckard posted on 2018-01-04 13:00:20 Reply Private Reply
#13: Gatlin To: Deckard (#12)
What happens in Scottsdale....stays in Scottsdale.
Gatlin posted on 2018-01-04 14:03:28 Reply Private Reply