Continuing his mission for police reform, Jay-Z’s team Roc sued the Kansas City Police Department for allegedly covering up instances of police misconduct.
ABC News report that the lawsuit was filed in Wyandotte County, Kansas’s district court on Monday (September 20) with Team Roc suing for access to records including those related to the training and supervision of KCKPD officers.
Team Roc’s attorney, Alex Spiro says that the documents previously provided by the KCKPD were “not sufficient,” and that “the government has attempted to block our access to those files, and so we’re suing to see what they don’t want us to see.”
Nancy Chartrand, public information officer of the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, told ABC News in a statement that The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City have provided some but not all of the records previously requested. “Once the petition has been thoroughly reviewed, the Unified Government will follow-up by filing a response.”
Team Roc, the philanthropic arm of the hip-hop mogul’s record label, Roc Nation allege that although KCKPD has agreed to provide documents “pertaining to the complaints made against members of the Investigative Division,” they “refused to produce documents pertaining to any steps that the City has taken in response to those Complaints, including any investigations or disciplinary proceedings initiated as a result of the complaints.”
The lawsuit comes amid requests from local activists for a probe of the KCKPD by the U.S Department of Justice following a spate of recent incidents accusing the Kansas City, Kansas police of alleged misconduct and discrimination.
According to ABC News, the lawsuit details several of these incidents including an officer who is charged with committing sex crimes involving a minor, two officers charged with a felony and misdemeanor assault over the mistreatment of an inmate, officers indicted on charges of stealing from homes where they were serving search warrants as well as a federal lawsuit in which a Black female KCKPD officer sued the department for alleged race and gender discrimination.”
Team Roc says “These documents will help identify the scope of the problem, any potential evidence of a cover-up, and also the potential causes.”
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says that the exceptions include ‘most personnel records’ as well as records of criminal probes and intelligence information. Team Roc says they want to see whether “complaints are being seriously addressed and whether there is sufficient oversight and supervision over the KCKPD.”
Jay Z has been pushing for criminal justice and police reform including joining forces with Yo Gotti and Meek Mill in various initiatives in the past.
