MO Gov. Parson criticizes DeValkenaere prosecutor, laying groundwork for potential clemency

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday criticized Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker’s prosecution of the first Kansas City police officer found guilty for killing a Black man, laying the groundwork for a potential commutation of the former officer.

Parson, a Republican, in an interview host Pete Mundo on KCMO Talk Radio said that he has not yet made a decision whether to grant clemency to Eric DeValkenaere, who had been found guilty at trial in Jackson County in 2021 on charges of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the killing of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb.

However, Parson, a former Polk County sheriff, took aim at the way in which Baker prosecuted the case.

“It’s been one of the toughest issues that’s really on my desk,” Parson said. “But the one thing that bothered me more than anything about that case was the way the prosecutor handled that in Kansas City, by the accusation she was making about guilt or innocence without actually even knowing the facts herself.”

He added that “you don’t ever want anybody convicted because of the political side of things. But she set a poor example of setting the stage and making this more of a political issue when she should be doing what’s right by the law.”

Parson’s comments came as DeValkenaere remains in protective custody in an out-of-state prison after the Missouri Court of Appeals decided to uphold his conviction. DeValkenaere was previously held in the state prison in Fulton. Attorneys for DeValkenaere’s family submitted a request for clemency to Parson’s office last month.

The Missouri Constitution gives Parson the power to delay, reduce or eliminate the punishment of state-level crimes. A full commutation would allow DeValkenaere to be released from prison while a partial commutation would reduce the terms of his sentence.

A spokesperson for Baker’s office declined comment on Wednesday. But Democratic lawmakers from Kansas City criticized the Republican governor, saying he and other Republicans were the ones politicizing the situation — not Baker, who is a former chair of the Missouri Democratic Party.

“The Governor made this political by teasing a pardon while the case was still in appeal, and now again by talking about commutation despite no new facts coming to light,” state Rep. Eric Woods, a Kansas City Democrat, said in a statement.

“The justice system has spoken,” he said. “The shooting of Cameron Lamb was tragic, and a pardon or commutation would simply open old wounds for a family and community that is now finally beginning to heal.”

State Rep. Jamie Johnson, a Kansas City Democrat, said in a statement that Parson’s comments were “a huge affront to anyone who believes in the principle of law and order,” saying that the judge’s decision was grounded in evidence and the law.

“It is disheartening but not surprising that in Missouri and this country, some republicans seem to uphold the rule of law only when it aligns with their personal view of which citizens are worthy of freedom, protection, and justice,” she said.

State Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove, a Kansas City Democrat, said Parson’s comments were “really scary.”

“They are the ones who made it political,” she said of Republicans. “Cops don’t get to kill you because they are scared or just for fun.”

Gwen Grant, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, said in a phone interview that Parson should be focused on the facts of the case and the decision by the courts — not Baker.

“The governor should focus on upholding the law and not sending a message that if you’re a cop, you’re held to a different set of legal standards,” she said.

After the radio interview, Parson spokesperson Johnathan Shiflett said in a statement to The Star that the governor “has not yet made a decision whether he will or will not grant clemency, of any kind,” to DeValkenaere.

Attorneys for DeValkenaere have filed a formal request with the Court of Appeals for a rehearing. In addition, they have applied to have the case transferred to the Missouri Supreme Court, a decision supported by the attorney general’s office.

As of Wednesday, the appeals court has yet to rule on the rehearing request.

Legal experts and attorneys not associated with the case say that the United States Attorney’s Office could still file a civil rights violations complaint against DeValkenaere for illegally going onto Lamb’s property without permission and without a search warrant.

In the appeals court’s ruling, the judge-panel upheld that DeValkenaere and his partner, Troy Schwalm violated Lamb’s Fourth Amendment rights by entering onto the property without a search warrant.

DeValkenaere fatally shot Lamb nine seconds after he drove up to his house.

The panel also found there was sufficient evidence that DeValkenaere fatally shot Lamb, that he acted with criminal negligence that did not justify the use of deadly force and he illegally entered Lamb’s property.

Local activists and civil rights leaders have repeatedly pleaded with Parson not to issue a pardon or commute the prison sentence.

“It’s a shame that the governor would have comments about the possibility of pardoning DeValkenaere when he hasn’t even reached out to Cameron’s family to see how they are doing,” said Steve Young, a founder of the Kansas City Law Enforcement Accountability Project or KC LEAP.

“This shows where his loyalty is. There is a true disconnect between Parson and our community. The Lamb family is not invisible and deserve to be heard, and the governor can’t just write them off as if their voice doesn’t matter in this case.

Young continued: “There was a life taken and it seems Governor Parson cares more about the life of the person who took the life than the family who lost one.”