When will it end? Another case of excessive force on an unarmed Black person has made headlines again. Residents, activists, and civil rights leaders in Kansas City, MO, have called out an officer for putting his knee on the back of pregnant 25-year-old Deja Stallings during an arrest.
Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) arrived on the scene on September 30th, initially responding to a 911 call made by a security guard. According to Atlanta Black Star, after people reportedly began fighting inside the parking lot of Conoco’s gas station, police attempted to arrest local activist Troy Robertson, and that’s when Deja interjected.
She tried to remove Troy from the incident by pulling him away from the officers. In response, she was taken into custody for physically interfering with an arrest. In the graphic video footage of the arrest, it’s clear that a KCPD officer pushed Deja, who’s nine months pregnant, on her stomach, and put his knee onto Deja’s back, which pinned her to the ground.
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In the video, you can hear angry reactions from others saying, ”She pregnant” repetitively. The officer paid them no mind, as they continue to lay on the ground. Following the incident, Stacy Shaw, Deja’s attorney, stated,” She (Deja) is nine months pregnant, and she went to a hospital after the arrest and has needed medical care on and off since then. She has been issued a municipal summons for hindering an arrest.”
Residents call for Kansas City Police Department Chief Richard Smith to resign, and several protesters have been occupying City Hall for several days. They are demanding that the KCPD changes 50 percent of the city’s police budget be redirected to fund social services for the Black community.
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