A brief recent history of Lawrence, Kansas police misconduct

Op-Ed from Michael Eravi, Lawrence Accountability

This op-ed is provided by Lawrence, KS resident Michael Eravi, Lawrence Accountability.

Lawrence, Kansas has a police accountability problem that has been denied by city officials for too many years. Our city leaders have gone so far as to pay a chief of police more than $100,000 in 2020, to quietly go away at the behest of our local police union. In a department that has traditionally employed roughly 150 or so certified law enforcement officers, seven have seen their certifications revoked since 2015. There are at least 2 more former LPD officers who are likely to lose certification in the coming months. Nearly all of these individuals were allowed to resign with little to no public information or comment, rather than being fired for cause. Some were still being paid after admitting to felony level criminal behavior... others violating their oath and the law while on duty. Our police rarely, if ever, accept responsibility for their failures and this is how they’ve lost our trust.

In early 2015, Nicholas Simon lost his certification following his November 2014 arrest for a physical confrontation with an ex-girlfriend. Then D.A. Charles Branson refused to prosecute, citing the different stories told by each and ‘mitigating circumstance’. However, the Summary Order of Revocation later issued by the Kansas Commission for Peace Officer Standards and Training (KsCPOST) indicates he was proven to have lied to dispatch about event. Was this ‘aggravating circumstance’ not considered?

On February 23, 2015, William Burke was arrested following an investigation into allegations of domestic abuse. Burke would later claim authorities proffered a quid pro quo: his resignation for criminal leniency. Though police denied this, his lawsuit against the city later verified that he was allowed to resign. The status of that lawsuit is unknown, and he may yet hold a peace officer certification.

While we have no way of knowing how they left the department, two more former LPD officers lost certifications around the time Burke’s lawsuit was being filed, Eric Maack in 2017, and Justin Cooper in 2018. Both were for cause under ‘good moral character’ requirements. The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Act [K.S.A. 74-5605(b)(5)] codified ‘Good Moral Character’ standards which do not require criminal conviction to sustain. Information (KsCPOST email) regarding Mr. Burke has again been submitted to KsCPOST for consideration.

Frank McClelland, decertified in 2018, was also allowed to resign after an August 2016 incident which multiple investigations found him to have used excessive force. Although he was accused of the same behavior in 2014 by a Lawrence Firefighter, who later filed a lawsuit against the city, McClelland, with this pattern developing, entered a diversion agreement in the criminal case that resulted.

The third action against a former LPD officer in 2018 revoked the certification of Sutagee Anglin. According to the dates disclosed in Mr. Anglin’s revocation document, he was employed by LPD for 2 weeks AFTER his diversion agreement was signed. What quid pro quo was in play this time?

Jeffrey Holtzman got into a road rage incident in Johnson County, pulled out a gun, and began making threats. Mr. Holtzman lost his certification in 2019 for these very actions, yet he too was allowed to resign rather than LPD taking definitive action against this behavior. Later that same year, David S Williams also was allowed to resign after it was discovered he was misusing law enforcement data systems to his advantage in a private dispute with his child’s mother. In late of 2022, Mr. Williams entered a felony diversion agreement, and his certification was revoked in November.

The locally notorious Bradley Williams finally had his own KsCPOST hearing on August 4, 2022. Bradley began his reign of terror with the Douglas County Sheriff Department. When problems there came to light, rather than firing him, they allowed his ‘transfer’ to LPD. While with LPD, his conduct earned him quite a reputation for dishonesty, manipulation, bias, and unnecessary force. LPD proactively took steps to shield him from the public outcry against his behavior by moving to reassign him, and attempting to intimidate the most vocal protestors. He too was allowed to resign in January of 2021.

Multiple officers have been filmed by citizens while committing violence against their neighbors. Reasonably compliant people thrown from their doorstep, restrained with knees on their injured back, with ‘pain compliance pressure points’ practiced on them with malice, and a consistent unwillingness by fellow officers to intervene or leaders to acknowledge. Jonathan Gardner sexually assaults, Adam Welch drives drunk, the homeless are issued the only jaywalking ticket, and an as yet unidentified officer empties his 17-round magazine while fellow officers fire one round each. Our city leaders were warned of the inevitability of an officer ‘mag dumping’ on a suspect. It is how they train.

Louisville paid over $40 million in civil penalties over the last five years (2018-2022). These payouts resulted in the city losing its excess insurance carrier. The Chief of Police resigned immediately after that announcement. That is the real accountability. All the discussions and hyperbole haven’t moved the needle. Force only responds to force. The first step for Lawrence to avoid an eventual Louisville inspired outcome is to reconsider the ordinances establishing and governing the functions of the Citizens Police Review Board. LPD must be removed from any administrative role related to this board and we must demand all police misconduct and performance complaints be directly under that board’s review capabilities and responsibilities. Anything less is just more of the same, and we already know exactly what that is.