Trans Lives matters.
Two former Kansas City, Missouri, police officers plead guilty and avoid jail after assaulting a Black transgender woman.
Charles W. Prichard and Matthew G. Brummett entered the guilty plea during a hearing Monday afternoon. A judge sentenced each defendant to three years probation. Prichard and Brummett also agreed to surrender the law enforcement licenses. That means they will not be able to work as a police officer in the future.
A grand jury indicted Prichard and Brummett in May 2020 on assault charges for allegedly using excessive force to arrest Breona Hill outside a Kansas City beauty supply store on May 24, 2019.
Initial court documents say the two officers slammed Hill’s face against a concrete sidewalk, kneed her in the face, torso and ribs and forced her arms over her head while she was handcuffed.
Hill was involved in some type of dispute at the store prior to her arrest. Hill called 911 for help and also asked the store owner to call 911. When doing so, she began using slurs and insulted the store owner, who asked dispatchers to have her removed from the store.
Officers decided to arrest Hill, but she resisted arrest, court documents say. That’s when she was taken to the ground and allegedly assaulted by the officers.
According to the grand jury’s affidavit, a witness, who took video of Hill’s arrest, saw an officer strike her with a closed fist.
While Hill is on her stomach, the video allegedly shows Brummett and Prichard kneel on top of her torso, ribs and upper back.
Brummett is also accused of slammed Hill’s face on the concrete twice before dropping his knee and a portion of his body weight on her neck and shoulder. The officers then finished handcuffing her.
Court documents say Prichard can be heard on the video saying, “We tried to be easy,” and “You made it this way.” Hill can be heard asking for help and moaning or crying.
Brummett then allegedly stepped on Hill’s hip and pulled her cuffed hands above her hands while she was still on the sidewalk. Hill does not move after this, according to the jury.
Just before this, Prichard can be heard saying, “You wanna push more?” Hill says, “I didn’t push nobody.” Prichard responds by saying, “Stop it, I’m tired of messin’ with you.”
In addition, Prichard, while pulling/pressing her arms upwards, says, “You’re doing it now.” Hill can be heard moaning and crying in pain until she goes silent.
The Kansas City Police Department confirmed that Brummett’s last date of employment was Dec. 16, 2021. Prichard’s last day with the department was Dec. 27, 2021.
