KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two Kansas City, Missouri, police officers entered not guilty pleas this week in connection with an excessive force case.
Officers Matthew Brummett and Charles Prichard appeared Monday in Jackson County Court in Kansas City.
A grand jury indicted both officers July 24 on a charge of felony assault.
Brummett and Prichard allegedly used excessive force during the arrest of Breona Hill on May 24, 2019, outside a beauty supply store at 1319 Brush Creek Boulevard.
The officers took Hill to the ground, and she fought with the officers.
A man driving by during the arrest shot cellphone video of the incident. The video shows Brummett slam Hill's faces two times on the concrete and put his knee and part of his weight on Hill's neck and right shoulder, a court document said.
Prichard allegedly said, "We tried to be easy," and "You made it this way."
The court document said Hill can be heard on the video moaning or crying in pain and asking for help.
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 99 issued a statement after the charge against the officers was upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony:
"We received the information the Jackson County Prosecutor took the case involving Breona Hill back to the grand jury this afternoon and upgraded the charges against two KCPD officers from misdemeanor assault to felony assault.
As we stated in May we stand by these officers.
The incident with Hill happened in October of 2019 and was investigated at that time. We do not believe any new evidence has surfaced in this case since it was brought to the grand jury in May.
This is another example of political prosecution and abuse of power by the Jackson County Prosecutor who is attempting to resurrect a failing career on the backs of the good men and women of the KCPD."
Brad Lemon
President, Kansas City Missouri Fraternal Order of Police
The two officers will be back in court next month.
