KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
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Community members, candidates and clergy spoke out Monday in support of Charles Adair, the man who died in the Wyandotte County Detention Center in July.
The opening prayer went like this:
"God we thank you for being a God of justice. We ask that you go into this system and expose every ounce of injustice."
Speakers included Terry Bradshaw, senior pastor at Empowerment Temple, LaRon Thompson, pastor of Paseo Baptist Church and Tarence Maddox, president of the Kansas City, Kansas branch of the NAACP.
They were joined by candidates for local office and concerned community members.
“We are unified for Charles, and we are unified for justice,” Thompson said.
The gathering took place outside the Wyandotte County Courthouse, where KSHB 41’s Alyssa Jackson spoke with Adair’s brother just a day prior.
They too joined hands in prayer outside the courthouse.
“The late Charles Adair was a father, a son, a sibling, an uncle and most importantly, somebody,” Maddox said.
The group’s list of demands was identical to the Adair family’s:
- Body camera and audio recordings from the time Charles Adair was picked up by police until he was booked in jail.
- Footage of Adair being taken to the infirmary and returned to his jail cell.
- Video footage of Adair's last moments.
- The full investigative report from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).
Additionally, this group called for a judge outside of Wyandotte County to be appointed to this case, something the district attorney’s office filed a motion for on Friday.
“If you’re called to uphold and obey the law, it should be done no matter who is under scrutiny,” Bradshaw said.
He spoke to how it’s the first time in the county’s history there have been charges for an officer involving an inmate’s death.
“Charles Adair’s death has shed light on an injustice that has been going on for some time in Wyandotte County,” Bradshaw said.
Bradshaw was honest about how it felt to host a press conference in the first place.
“As a Black man, honestly, it’s frustrating,” Bradshaw said. “It’s triggering.”
District Attorney Mark Dupree filed two charges against Deputy Richard Fatherley on Thursday.
Fatherley does not have a mugshot because he received a summons instead of an arrest warrant.
“What we are asking for is due process,” Thompson said. “If you dismiss this case, settle it quietly, or avoid full accountability, then our community will know exactly how to respond moving forward.”
Fatherely’s first appearance is set for November 18 in front of a Wyandotte County judge as of Monday.
Between now and then, this group wants to help amplify the voice Adair lost.
“It’s time for the nation to see and put their eyes on our county to ensure that we are about justice because this cannot continue to happen,” Bradshaw said.
