Kansas City, Kansas Police Department patrol car.” decoding=”async” sizes=”(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px”>
A photo of the side of a Kansas City, Kansas Police Department patrol car.
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — An officer with the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department lost his police license after video showed the officer appearing “high” while on duty last year.
According to court documents, in January 2023, Officer James Shepherd was called to an apartment complex during a custody dispute. While responding to the call, someone at the residence believed Shepherd was acting strange and began recording video of him.
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The video, which appeared on social media on January 22showed Shepherd leaning against a railing on a wall, making strange hand gestures, blinking a lot and slurring his words.
In the background, someone can even be heard indicating that Shepherd was “high,” according to court documents.
KCKPD said Shepherd’s behavior was investigated and due to insufficient evidence, all criminal charges were dismissed.
However, the Kansas Peace Officers Commission scheduled an interview with Shepherd to determine his suitability to serve in law enforcement, specifically to evaluate whether Shepherd used any prescription medications that could impair his ability or judgment while on duty. service.
Shepherd agreed to an interview with Commission investigator George Brown and then rescheduled it, according to court records. Before rescheduling, Shepherd’s attorney said he would not attend any Commission interviews, and it was ultimately determined that he did not cooperate with the investigation.
Failure to provide accurate information and/or cooperate in interview for the Commission’s investigation resulted in the revocation of a Shepherds police officer’s certification, according to court documents.
This case sparks an important conversation about the public accountability of law enforcement and police.
In an interview with FOX4 News in January 2023, Wyandotte Justice co-founder and president Nikki Richardson said, “Who can say how many more houses they would have gone to before someone took out their phone and called a sergeant?”
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“It may not always fall to civilians ready to detect police misconduct. At some point, that will have to be done internally.”
He continued: “This speaks to a broader conversation about concerns within police culture across the country. “There was clearly another officer who was there who was fit to be there, and there was one officer who was not.”
There is no information on Shepherd’s employment with other law enforcement agencies in cities or states outside of Kansas. However, FOX4 will update this story with the latest details and information as they are released.
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