Kansas City, Missouri, police officer guilty in July 2024 assault in Westport

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, police officer was found guilty of fourth-degree assault Thursday in an incident in 2024 in Westport.

Christopher Showalter was accused of assaulting William Hardy on July 6, 2024. A lawsuit alleged Showalter was off-duty and working security when he forcibly removed Hardy from a bike at the intersection of West 40th Street and Pennsylvania Street.

The officer was said to have caused a laceration to Hardy’s chin by “slamming his face/chin against the concrete sidewalk and kneeing him in the face/chin while the victim was handcuffed and lying on his stomach,” per court documents.

Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson issued a statement after the guilty verdict was announced. She said the verdict is a reminder that “no one is above the law, including those entrusted with enforcing it.”

“Accountability requires all of us to have the courage to speak up when something is wrong,” Johnson said.

She also noted that while Showalter was found guilty of misconduct, his actions should not “diminish the noble profession of policing.”

Showalter will be sentenced on Oct. 29.

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