Attorneys representing family of Saveion McConnell release body cam footage of fatal shooting

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The attorneys representing the family of Saveion McConnell, the 19-year-old fatally shot five months ago by a Lafayette County deputy, have released parts of body camera video from the incident.

National civil rights lawyer Benjamin L. Crump has joined the team at Romanucci & Blandin LLC to represent Saveion's parents.

Watch: An edited video clip is shown in the video player below.

Two clips of body-worn camera footage from the shooting were released on YouTube.

In the first clip, an Odessa police officer is on the phone while standing outside his patrol vehicle. He is captured saying, “We’re just sitting here, staring at a woodline. Trying to find a Black kid at night. That’s always fun.”

The officer also said the individual sounded “interesting” based on what his friends said about him.

In the second clip, McConnell and a friend are ordered by the officer and a Lafayette County deputy to back up and put their hands on their head. McConnell then runs off.

Warning: The end of the video is graphic, as it shows the moments the deputy fires nine shots at McConnell.

In the news release showing the body camera footage, the legal team said the family is “profoundly disappointed” by Johnson County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Russell’s decision to not charge the deputy.

Russell issued a statement Monday explaining his decision.

"My sympathies go out to the family of Saveion McConnell. This is not a new video but excerpts from the entire body camera video from the Odessa officer. While he makes insensitive statements, those are not attributed to the officer involved in the shooting," Russell said. "In reviewing the whole video and not solely excerpts, I still stand by my decision based on the whole of the evidence not to file charges. Self-defense is a special defense under Missouri law and the state must disprove by proof beyond a reasonable doubt that a person did not act in self-defense. The evidence presented to my office is insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer did not act in self-defense."

The incident occurred April 30 into the early hours of May 1. McConnell and some friends drove from Lee’s Summit to a party in Warrensburg.

According to a court document, the group had an AR-style rifle in the car on the way to Warrensburg, where McConnell acquired a Glock pistol before leaving the party.

Near the intersection of Highway 50 and Highway 131, the pistol discharged and shot the juvenile female driver in the back.

“No physical evidence contradicted the belief of the juvenile that she was shot by someone in the rear seats,” a court document stated.

When deputies responded, the driver said she was shot by McConnell, who fled the scene.

During a search of the vehicle, both the AR-style rifle and a Glock were located.

Stories varied among passengers about what happened. While the girl said she was shot by McConnell, another passenger said they were hit by a drive-by. However, no evidence supported the drive-by version of events, per a court document.

Another passenger said the two in the back were passing the gun when it discharged.

Additional law enforcement officers were called to assist at the scene.

While a family member was taking some of the passengers home, they recognized McConnell walking on the highway.

Deputies soon received a call about two males on the highway, identified as McConnell and one of his friends.

Officers pulled up and instructed the two to walk backwards with their hands up, but McConnell took off running again. In an attempt to stop him, a deputy placed his vehicle between McConnell and the car of the passengers, making contact with McConnell.

He was able to get up, and he continued running toward a fence.

The deputy caught up and ordered McConnell to put his hands up. He lifted his shirt, which a court document states was captured on the body-worn camera, and the deputy fired his duty weapon.

McConnell died of his injuries suffered in the shooting.

In the investigation after the incident, the deputy said he believed McConnell was reaching for a gun.

However, Crump and the other attorneys defending Saveion's parents maintain the deputy’s use of force started with the patrol vehicle.

“Saveion was unarmed—that is undisputed. [The deputy] told investigators that a witness had said Saveion 'could be armed' with a Glock pistol, but the only handgun described in the memo was found by deputies inside the car where the pistol discharged, not on Saveion," the news release stated.

The legal team says its investigation and pursuit of “accountability for Saveion’s death” remain ongoing.

—

If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.