Paul Thompson
Northeast News

Late in the afternoon on Friday, March 23, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department sent two letters to area media outlets: one an accusation of police brutality related to an arrest made in the early morning hours of March 6, and the other a KCPD response defending its actions.

The letters relate to an incident involving a rolling gun battle in the Historic Northeast, which was originally reported by the Northeast News on March 6.

Atif Abdel-Khaliq, the lawyer representing 27-year-old Chase Dominique Moss, sent a letter dated March 21, 2018 to the Internal Affairs Division of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department – and select media sources – which stated Moss’s claims of police brutality, assault and battery, violation of his civil rights, and more related to his March 6 arrest.

Abdel-Khaliq’s letter claims that a “savage, brutal and illegal attack” was administered to a handcuffed Moss by six KCPD officers at East Patrol Division. According to Abel-Khaliq, the attack left Moss at Truman Hospital for two days, despite the fact that he was never charged with a crime. The alleged beating at East Patrol was described as “like a slave owner might have punished a slave.”

The letter from Abdel-Khaliq further suggests that during the initial arrest, Moss was also kicked in the mouth by an arresting officer. This was despite the fact that Moss had his hands in the air in a surrender position, according to Abdel-Khaliq, who also claimed that the officers in question were all white, while Moss is a black male. Abdel-Khaliq concludes the letter with a request for the preservation of all “videos and pictures” of the incident.

The KCPD response, penned by Media Unit Captain Lionel Colón, suggested that Moss’s injuries were primarily sustained during a fight inside of a strip club, and that any additional injuries inflicted by KCPD officers were the result of Moss’s decision to resist arrest. Colón’s response includes a description of Moss’s actions, which included participation in a rolling gun battle, a subsequent car crash, and an attempt to flee while carrying a small rifle.

According to Colón, when Moss was confronted by the sergeant who initiated the arrest he advanced “as though he would engage him in a struggle.” Though the sergeant perceived a risk, Colón wrote, he elected to kick Moss in the torso instead of firing his duty weapon. After the arrest, the sergeant said Moss acknowledged that he “had gotten into it with someone at the club,” and that someone had been shooting at him as a result.
Colón’s response also described how Moss “actively resisted the officers for an extended period of time as they attempted to change him into the jail uniform.” The ensuing struggle, Colón wrote, exacerbated Moss’s wounds.

On March 26, Colón discussed the response letter in a follow-up conversation with the Northeast News. According to Colón, Abdel-Khaliq’s claim that Moss has not been charged with a crime is true. He added, however, that it is not uncommon for an individual to be released pending further investigation of an incident. Such instances can be the result of a priority medical release, or simply a decision to hold charges while authorities investigate a crime.

“I think we tried to make it pretty clear that the investigation is ongoing, and there is a lot involved in that incident,” Colón said.

Colón acknowledged that the tone nationwide regarding violent police incidents informed KCPD’s decision to issue a written response to Abdel-Khaliq’s letter. He added that there is some evidence in the case that won’t be released until the case comes to some sort of conclusion. That said, on Monday morning, Colón stood by his written response.

“In my statement, I can’t see anything that is knowingly false or a lie,” Colón said. “We have everything to lose if we don’t get this right. The other side has nothing to lose if they don’t get it right.”

Mr. Moss’s attorney:

KCPD’s response: