KCK officer charged with multiple domestic violence offenses
Deotis Anthony Brown has been a KCK police officer since 2017 and is now facing five felony charges out of two counties for domestic violence.
By Betsy Webster
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KANSAS CITY, Kansas (KCTV) — A man who has been a KCK police officer since 2017 is now facing five felony charges out of two counties for domestic violence.
Officer Deotis Anthony Brown is now suspended without pay pending the outcome of both criminal court cases.
In Wyandotte County, he is charged with aggravated assault with a weapon and aggravated intimidation of a witness or victim for an incident that occurred on Feb. 7.
In Jackson County, he is charged with two counts of second-degree domestic assault and one count of third-degree domestic assault for an incident that occurred on Sept. 2.
In a news conference on Thursday, Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree and Kansas City, Kansas, Police Chief Karl Oakman said they didn’t know about the alleged February attack in their city until last weekend.
Brown’s girlfriend came to Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department’s East Patrol on Saturday. Jackson County court records say she told police that, on Friday, Brown “…threw her down onto a couch, strangled her with both hands, and punched her in the face several times.” The documents indicate officers saw bruising on her arm and back, swelling and bruising under her eye, scratches on her neck and face, and a small cut inside her lip.
During her police interview about that, she told them Brown had also pointed a gun at her seven months earlier in KCK. The charges stemming from that allege he also threatened violence if she reported it.
“We are just happy that there is someone who finally got to a place in her life where she could stand up and speak up,” said Dupree.
Oakman called domestic violence a serious problem in all corners of the city.
“When you look at our homicides for this year, roughly 34% are domestic violence related,” Oakman said.
Change is now coming to the KCKPD to address that. Oakman said that, in cooperation with the federal Office on Violence Against Women, the police department has secured a grant to implement what’s known as a Lethality Assessment Program.
That involves a series of questions used for every domestic violence call, which gives a score telling officers when to intervene immediately to get the victim to safety.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s 5 o’clock in the afternoon, or 4 o’clock in the morning; those resources will be in place,” explained Oakman.
Dupree praised Oakman for bringing the program to Wyandotte County. Johnson County, Kansas, implemented the program in July of 2011. A follow-up analysis compiled in 2014 in Johnson County showed that a drop in what portion of homicides involved an intimate partner.
At one point in the media briefing on Brown’s case, Dupree spoke directly to those impacted by domestic violence. He acknowledged that many victims feel apprehensive to report to police.
“I want you to know that you can come forward. You don’t have to accept it. And, I would encourage you to get help before it’s too late,” Dupree said.
Brown was first placed in the Jackson County jail. After posting bond there, he was booked into the Wyandotte County jail. A check of jail records Thursday night shows he has already posted bond to be released from that jail, as well.
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