“There was a Honda Odyssey minivan in the garage. As the door opened, the minivan backed up, toward the second officer who was standing directly behind it. The officer drew his sidearm. He shouted “STOP THE CAR” in a booming voice that was picked up by another officer’s in-car recording system a block away. The van accelerated toward the officer. The officer shot twice while moving away from the van.”
- Office of the Johnson County, Kansas District Attorney Media Fact Sheet, Feb. 20, 2018
Across the nation, local governments sometimes disseminate false narratives in cases of officer-involved shootings. Local officials can craft messages that favor police because the community rarely has access to the information that would contradict that message.
If the goal is to conduct an impartial and thorough investigation, public access to information is crucial.
On Jan. 20, 2018, the unthinkable became a reality. My oldest son John was home alone and posted distressing messages about suicide on social media. His friends were worried and called 911. Overland Park Kansas Police Officer Clayton Jenison responded to a welfare check at our home. Jenison unholstered his weapon as he watched the garage door slowly open. John pulled the minivan out in a straight line at 2.5 mph…