Investigation Continues 1 Year After KCPD Officers Shot, Killed Malcolm Johnson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Friday marked one-year since Kansas City, Missouri, police officers shot and killed Malcolm Johnson and the case is still under review.Cell phone and surveillance video captured the evening Johnson died inside a gas station at east 63rd Street and Prospect Avenue. The shooting was the start of what Pastor Darron Edwards, with United Believers Community Church, describes as an agonizing year for Johnson’s family. “They’re looking for some concrete answers and they’re ready to get this process started and find out what the real findings are in this case,” Edwards said.

Last summer, Rachel Smith from St. Louis County was appointed as a special prosecutor following a request from the Jackson County Prosecutor to avoid a potential conflict. Smith will decide whether to bring charges against the officers or go to a grand jury once she examines evidence gathered by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

“By doing so, they can sort of get an independent review of the evidence from citizens of the community, rather than making the decision themselves,” John Picerno, a criminal defense attorney said. Picerno believes the process is moving slow. “Most shootings are reviewed in charge within 24 to 48 hours,” he said. “It’s unusual that a shooting goes under review for such a long period of time, particularly a year.”

A spokesperson for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office provided this statement to KSHB 41 News:

“This office’s progress on this case out of Jackson County was slowed by difficulty in accessing funding for this special prosecutor appointment. The funding is now in place, and we will keep the public informed In the meantime, with KCPD Chief Rick Smith’s retirement, activists believe there’s an opportunity for a change.”This is time for us to talk about what this forward thinking [and] forward looking looks like,” Edwards said. “As we look to a new police chief, as we look to bring a sense of accountability and respect and dignity to these families who have lost loved ones through the hands of KCPD.”