By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
April 22, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Charges against a Kansas City, Mo., police officer who was indicted earlier this year for assault in a nonfatal shooting last June were dropped last week.

Officer Jacob I. Ramsey, 31, was charged with first-degree assault causing serious physical injury and armed criminal action for a shooting which took place on June 24, 2014. In a story filed at the time of the incident, officers arrived at a home on the 6400 block of 15th Terrace, between Fremont and Bennington Avenues, to serve an outstanding warrant. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the subject, who then attempted to flee the residence. Officer Ramsey believed the subject was preparing to shoot him and fired his weapon.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker issued a statement on Friday, April 17, saying her office could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer’s action was not justified.

“In February, the grand jury determined probable cause existed to indict the officer on assault and Armed Criminal Action charges,” Baker said. “But a subsequent investigation and legal analysis has demonstrated that the evidence no longer supports the further pursuit of those criminal charges.

“Like all prosecutors, we have a duty to be convinced that evidence supports a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Our subsequent investigation convinced us that burden could not be met.”

In a statement from the Police Department, Chief Darryl Forté said, “we respect the judicial process, and we are pleased that process ended in the right outcome in this situation.”

The officer is a 5-year-veteran of the department and is assigned to the Tactical Enforcement Unit. He had been on unpaid administrative leave since a grand jury issued an indictment on Feb. 20, 2015. He now will return to full duty.

In a report detailing her office’s findings included with the press release, Baker noted Ramsey fired his service weapon once, striking the suspect, Anthony Contreras, on the left side of the face, “causing serious injury to his jaw, teeth and tongue.” Contreras was not in possession of a gun, however, he had a screwdriver in his pocket.

Baker also noted in the report Contresas lied to the grand jury and would not be considered a credible witness at trial. Baker’s office also received information from a confidential informant that Contreras, prior to the incident, previously made statements that he would rather shoot it out with police and get shot than return to jail.