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Resident says Overland Park officer brandished firearm outside home; asks council to require administrative leave for officers under criminal investigation
Summary
A resident told the council she was frightened after a school resource officer unholstered a firearm while questioning her at her home; she has filed a police complaint and urged the city to place officers under investigation on administrative leave while criminal investigations proceed.
A resident, Britney King, used the city councils public comment period on Sept. 8 to describe an officer-involved confrontation at her home on July 1 in which she said an officer unholstered and tapped a firearm while demanding whether she had a gun. King said the encounter occurred about 6:30 a.m., that officers did not tell her why they were on the property and that she feared she might be shot.
King said a supervisor later arrived and the immediate situation de-escalated, but that the officer who drew the weapon has since been placed under criminal investigation for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threat and deprivation of rights under color of law, according to Kings account. She told the council she was told by the police department that the officer would remain on duty as a school resource officer at Shawnee Mission North High School despite the ongoing criminal investigation.
Why it matters: The resident asked the council to adopt a policy or direct staff to place officers under administrative leave when they are the subject of active criminal investigations involving alleged use of force. King said having an officer under criminal investigation assigned to a high school made her and neighbors feel unsafe.
What the resident asked: King said she had filed an official complaint and urged the council to require administrative leave as a protective measure until criminal investigations are concluded, arguing it would preserve public confidence and safety.
Staff response and next steps: King said she received a response from police that the criminal investigation was not complete and that the department did not believe the officer had acted improperly, but that the officer remained assigned. There was no formal council action recorded in the meeting minutes on the request for administrative leave; King said she filed a complaint and asked elected officials to consider a policy change. The public record does not reflect an immediate policy change or motion at the Sept. 8 meeting.
Ending: The council heard the residents account; King asked for a policy to place officers on administrative leave during criminal investigations. No formal action on that request was recorded during the meeting.
