KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A local mother is grieving and fighting for justice for her son and many other families who have lost a loved one.
Charron Powell lost her 4 year-old son LeGend Taliferro in June. LeGend was asleep inside a Kansas City, Missouri, apartment when he was shot and killed.
Days after his death, a new initiative called Operation LeGendwas announced.
“Operation LeGend is to investigate murders that have been unsolved and one of those is for my 4-year-old son that did not make it to 5," Powell said, "and if you’re against that, maybe you have to reevaluate your stance and your mentality to see what direction you’re headed in."
As part of the operation, federal agents will work in Kansas City, assisting KCPD with unsolved homicides, including LeGend’s.
“Operation LeGend is going to happen," Powell said, "and with or without y’all, it’s going to happen."
On Friday, a group vandalized KCPD headquartersas they protested bringing more federal agents to the metro.
Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas said the acts of vandalism are "entirely unnecessary."
“(It) divides our city, and I think it’s a disgrace for Kansas City," Lucas said.
As of Saturday, no arrests had been made in LeGend's case.
“We have 20 to 30 shootings a week in the Kansas City metro area," Powell said. "If you don’t see a problem with that, like I said, you may need to reevaluate your thoughts and think about that."
RELATED: U.S. Marshals Service to support Operation Legend in KCMO
Eleven people were arrested Friday night during the protest. Some could face misdemeanor charges while others are looking at felonies for alleged assaults on officers.
“This is something happening in our community, and if you’re not going to take a stand for it and try to make things better, don’t fight against what we’re trying to do,” Powell said.
Kansas City currently is on pace to break its record number of homicides, with violent crime up 40% compared to last year. As police welcome the help from federal agents, Powell told 41 Action News she wants the community to get on board with stopping the violence.
“It’s unfortunate that it took my son to realize that we actually have a bigger problem at hand," Powell said, "but we’ve got to come together."
