KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Three Kansas City, Missouri, civil rights groups urged NBA officials to “weigh” how the city’s police department treats Black people in deciding whether or not to bring the Toronto Raptors to the Midwest.
In a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Gwendolyn Grant, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City; Rev. Dr. Rodney Williams, NAACP-Kansas City Chapter president; and Rev. Dr. Vernon Howard, Southern Christian Leadership Council of Greater Kansas City president, said “law enforcement has demonstrated extreme hostility and excessive force towards Black people.”
They said that under Chief Rick Smith’s leadership, multiple officers have been indicted for “the killing and brutalizing of unarmed Black residents.”
Most recently, the department addressed a video that showed its officers arresting a pregnant woman.
In August, KCPD Sgt. Matthew T. Neal was indicted on one count of third-degree assault in connection to a November 2019 incident during which he allegedly caused serious injuries to a 15-year-old. Neal entered a not guilty plea in October.
In December 2019, Cameron Lamb was shot and killed in his own backyard. KCPD Det. Eric DeValkenaere was charged with involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in connection with Lamb’s death.
The letter also addressed the NBA's "commitment to civil rights and human rights," stating that the league has "stood strong with its Black players and Black owners who were victims of racial profiling and assault by law enforcement."
A KCPD spokesperson said in a statement provided to 41 Action News that the decision to “facilitate a professional sports team coming to Kansas City rests with other groups outside of KCPD.”
“We remain committed to serving the residents and visitors of Kansas City Missouri every day,” the statement read. “We also are ready to ensure the safety of any sports team coming to Kansas City, as we have done for the Chiefs and Royals and others during regular season games, playoffs, world championships and world championship celebrations, as we have done for decades.”
KCPD had “all hands on deck” in February when the Kansas City Chiefs held a victory parade following their Super Bowl LIV victory. During that event, police arrested five people -- only two of which were officially booked and charged.
Those two arrests followed a driver ramming through a barricade at Berkley Riverfront Park and reaching speeds up to 60 miles per hour along the parade route.
The department also had an increased presence at Arrowhead Stadium and in various entertainment districts during the Chiefs’ AFC Championship game in January.
The Raptors are reportedly searching for a temporary home as the 2020-21 NBA season approaches due to travel restrictions the Canadian government has implemented. Kansas City, Missouri, officials and local congressional leaders also reached out to Silver to offer the T-Mobile Center for the Raptors' use.
