KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The family of Donnie Sanders — a man shot and killed in 2020 by a Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department officer during a traffic violation stop — is suing the officer who killed Donnie as well as the Board of Police Commissioners for a minimum of $10 million.
Plaintiff Reshonda Sanders, the administrator of the estate of Donnie Sanders, has brought forth this lawsuit to pursue Missouri’s wrongful death and survivor statutes on behalf of all heirs and wrongful death beneficiaries.
Donnie Sanders was unarmed when he was killed on March 12, 2020, by officer Blayne Newton.
Newton supposedly pulled Sanders over for speeding and only fired shots after Donnie began to raise his arm as if he had a weapon, although it was later revealed he was unarmed.
Audio of dashcam footage from the incident captures Newton yelling, “Drop,” before shots can be heard.
With the incident resulting in Sanders’ death, his family questioned why Newton couldn’t have applied nonfatal tactics.
“He could have shot him in the leg, he could have given him a warning shot or anything instead of straight-up shooting him,” Mark Sanders, Donnie’s uncle, told KSHB 41 in 2021.
Thus, the lawsuit brings action against Newton along with the BOPC — including members Mark Tolbert, Cathy Dean, Don Wagner, Quinton Lucas and Nathan Garrett — for “Newton’s use of excessive and deadly force under the color of state law resulting in the death of Donnie Sanders in violation of his rights under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution,” according to court documents.
Further, Reshonda Sanders alleges the BOPC “failed to properly train, supervise, screen, discipline, transfer, counsel or otherwise properly equip and control officers” in regard to the usage of excessive and/or deadly force.
In 2021, KCPD spokesperson Jake Becchina explained the tactics behind deadly force, though not commenting directly on Sanders’ situation.
"Officers are trained if they are going to use deadly force with a firearm, they are trying to shoot for the largest portion or the largest thing that they can see,” Becchina said. “They need to bring that situation under control and end that life-endangering action as quickly and efficiently as possible for their safety and the safety of those around them who might be behind them or in front of them."
He also said that training often comes down to split-second decisions based on interpreting movements.
"So our brain is filling in the movements of that person and it is asking itself a million times a second, 'What is this person doing?'" he said.
Newton’s split-second decision to shoot Saunders could have been better understood if he had been wearing a body camera, which both the Saunders family and KCPD agree on.
Adding insult to injury, Newton never received any charges against him in the death of Donnie Sanders.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker attributed the lack of charges to the limits her office was placed under in reviewing the incident with a focus on criminal charges.
While Donnie’s brother Sam Sanders told KSHB 41 previously his brother didn’t carry weapons, investigators made note one witness claimed they saw Donnie pointing a gun at Newton. Another person said they saw Donnie Sanders with his arm extended while moving toward Newton.
Investigators ultimately decided there was insufficient evidence to support charges against the officer, but that didn’t satisfy the Sanders family.
"As being a Black man, there's no justice for us, like they do whatever they want to do to us," Mark Sanders, another of Donnie’s uncles, previously told KSHB 41.
One year ago, the family was considering suing KCPD, which is now a reality.
With a particular focus on the failure of Newton to respect Donnie Sanders’ constitutional rights and the BOPC’s inadequate discipline and training of Newton, Reshonda Sanders’ case comes down to receiving compensation for the wrongful death of Donnie.
Also listed in the lawsuit is a section is dedicated to the failures of KCPD, citing systemic issues along with names of prevalent cases in which an officer has wrongfully killed someone, including Cameron Lamb.
Also listed in the lawsuit is a section dedicated to the failures of KCPD. Citing systemic issues since 2005, the court document details instances of improper training “resulting in serious bodily injury and death, particularly against people of color,” including Cameron Lamb's case.
KCPD declined to comment on the lawsuit.
