The philanthropic and social justice division of Roc Nation, Team Roc, is taking legal action against the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD) and the city government for allegedly blocking access to important records during their investigation into wrongful convictions and officer misconduct.
On Tuesday, Team Roc filed the lawsuit, accusing the department of failing to abide by the Kansas Open Records Act after they requested public records in November 2023. The division began its pursuit in 2021, with efforts to uncover evidence of systematic abuse within KCKPD. In their recent suit, Team Roc claims the department has been uncooperative, even though the division paid $2,200 in fees to obtain the public records. It’s important to note that Team Roc did receive 225 pages worth of documents. However, the division says that the information was highly irrelevant and consisted of personnel and training files.
“Kansas City residents have suffered enormously as a result of KCKPD abuses. Some have been framed for crimes they did not commit; some have been coerced into providing false testimony; some have been sexually assaulted; some have endured brutal beatings; and some have even been killed,” the lawsuit reads. “Rather than promoting a culture of transparency and accountability, the KCKPD has a long history of turning a blind eye to, at best, and even covering up, if not worse, abusive and/or corrupt conduct by its officers.”
Additionally, the lawsuit paints a larger picture of alleged abuse by the KCKPD officers, including framing individuals, sexual assault, false testimonies, brutality, and killings. In an Instagram post, Team Roc reinforced their commitment to exposing the truth and social injustice that allegedly happened with the department.
“When good faith efforts are met with bad faith tactics, the fight for transparency continues in court. Truth deserves no less. The people of Kansas City, Kansas, deserve no less,” Team Roc wrote.
As previously mentioned, Team Roc attempted to gain the public records in 2021. At the time, the division’s attorney Alex Spiro, called out the department for its selective disclosure of information and trying to “block” access to the documents.
“Because of the [Kansas] Public Records Act that allows interested parties to look at various states and government documents, we’re allowed to see certain files and how the government handled certain issues,” Spiro said. “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.”
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