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White Kansas City detective convicted in killing of Black man leaves police department

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A white Kansas Metropolis police detective who was convicted within the taking pictures demise of a Black man is now not with the police division, a spokeswoman stated Wednesday.

Eric DeValkenaere’s final day with the division was Monday, police Capt. Leslie Foreman stated. She stated state regulation prevents her from saying whether or not DeValkenaere was fired, resigned or retired, The Kansas Metropolis Star reported.

He had been suspended with out pay after he was convicted in November of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed legal motion within the Dec. 3, 2019, taking pictures of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb.

DeValkenaere has been free on a $30,000 bond since he was charged, all through his trial and post-conviction.

Throughout a video court docket listening to on Wednesday, DeValkenaere’s protection legal professional, Molly Hastings, requested Jackson County Circuit Courtroom Presiding Choose Dale Youngs to think about permitting him to stay free on bond whereas his conviction is appealed, citing concern for his security in jail as a result of he was a police detective.

KANSAS CITY POLICE USED FORCE ON BLACK PEOPLE MORE OFTEN THAN OTHER RACES

Youngs, who convicted DeValkenaere after a bench trial, stated granting such a request can be unprecedented in his 13 years on the bench, KSHB-TV reported.

“Apart from Mr. DeValkenaere’s standing as a police officer, I’m not precisely positive what different distinctive circumstances would compel me to deal with him in another way than I would deal with any individual else in his scenario given the costs,” Youngs stated.

DeValkenaere is scheduled to be sentenced March 4. He faces as much as 4 years on the manslaughter conviction and not less than three years for the armed legal motion cost.

DeValkenaere testified throughout his trial that he fired after Lamb pointed a gun at one other detective, Troy Schwalm.

Youngs discovered that the officers had no possible trigger to consider that any crime had been dedicated, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property.