KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Jackson County, Missouri, judge denied a motion to dismiss charges against a Kansas City, Missouri, police officer in the shooting death of Cameron Lamb.
KCPD Det. Eric Devalkenaere is charged in Jackson County Court with involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.
The shooting occurred on Dec. 3, 2019, as Lamb backed his pickup truck into a backyard garage at his house in the 4100 block of College Avenue.
Devalkenaere shot and killed Lamb after he said Lamb pulled a gun from his waistband with his left hand.
Devalkenaere said Lamb pointed the gun at a second officer standing on the driver's side of the truck, according to a news release from the Jackson County Prosecutors Office at the time charges were announced.
Tactical officers went into the garage after the shooting and found Lamb's left arm hanging from the driver's side window, the release states.
Officers found a gun on the garage floor under Lamb's hand, according to the news release.
DeValkenaere's attorneys argued in their motion that he acted reasonably when he shot Lamb.
"While the events are tragic, this shows that DeValkenaere did not create— or disregard—the risks leading to Mr. Lamb’s passing. For this reason, he did not act recklessly and therefore, the charge of involuntary manslaughter should be dismissed," the motion states.
His attorneys also stated in the motion the armed criminal action charge should be dismissed.
Prosecutors, in their response, disagreed with the defense motion.
"The charging language lays out the essential elements of the crime—that the defendant recklessly caused the death of Cameron Lamb by shooting him," prosecutors stated in their motion.
Devalkenaere's trial is scheduled for July 12 before Judge David Michael Byrn.
The trial is expected to last four to five days.
