Latest news with #DeValkenaere
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
Eric DeValkenaere still has a Missouri peace officer license. That's wrong
Now that the criminal case and civil litigation involving former Kansas City Police Detective Eric DeValkenaere have concluded, I'd like to see the ex-lawman officially stripped of his peace officer license. As it stands, DeValkenaere's license is merely inactive, which means he cannot be commissioned as a police officer this state until his license is made active again, according to Mike O'Connell, a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Public Safety. Having an inactive license does not necessarily preclude DeValkenaere from being an officer again in the future, though. Only the state revoking his license or him voluntarily surrendering it could prevent that. 'Eric DeValkenaere has an inactive Class A peace officer license,' O'Connell wrote in an email. 'In Missouri, no one can hold a commission with a law enforcement agency without an active peace officer license.' I was told several factors could lead to an inactive license. In general, all peace officers in this state are required to take 24 hours of continuing law enforcement education courses each year, according to O'Connell. 'Officers who fail to show they are compliant with training requirements for any year, may, at the discretion of the Director of Public Safety, have their peace officer license made inactive, which means they cannot hold a commission until they demonstrate they have completed their CLEE training requirements,' he wrote. It seems only a technicality is keeping DeValkenaere from working in law enforcement again. Missouri must act and immediately suspend the peace officer license of the first Kansas City officer ever convicted of killing an unarmed Black man. DeValkenaere doesn't deserve to ever wear a badge again. He fatally shot Lamb and planted a gun at the crime scene to justify his inexplicable actions, according to Jackson County prosecutors. As a convicted felon, he has no legal right to carry a gun, either. If he has any sense of remorse, he would voluntarily surrender his certification. If he doesn't feel compelled to make that move, then Missouri Public Safety Director Mark James, appointed in January, should immediately suspend DeValkenaere's license and start the review process for permanent revocation. Under state statutes, James has the power to do just that. Any officer indicted for, charged with or convicted of a felony is subject to immediate suspension until an investigation is completed, a hearing is held and final determination is made. After Lamb's 2019 killing, DeValkenerare checked all three of those boxes — so it is fair to ask why he hasn't officially lost his ability to be a police officer. In 2021, DeValkenaere was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action for killing Lamb. He was sentenced to six years in prison but served just over a year before former Gov. Mike Parson commuted the sentence. His successor Mike Kehoe has been been a vocal supporter of the convicted felon, callinghttps:// ,' and promising to get him out of prison while on the campaign trail. There's one possible explanation as to why no action has been taken against DeValkenaere's license: No one may have filed a formal complaint with Missouri's Peace Officer Standards and Training division to kick-start the process. Because of a state law that protects police officers' personnel records, we have no way of knowing if a complaint against this convicted felon is on file. But of all the names that appeared on a state list of revoked and surrendered peace officer licenses, DeValkenaere's isn't among them. Other Kansas City-area officers who committed illegal or questionable acts were on the list, including former Kansas City police officer Jason Moran and ex-Ray County Sheriff Scott Childers. Moran, a 22-year veteran with KCPD, surrendered his peace officer certification after he pleaded guilty last year to assault and harassment stemming from a road rage incident. Childers did the same after reaching a settlement agreement with state officials for running an unsanctioned work program for jail inmates. Days after a settlement was announced between Lamb's family and the KCPD, I checked the Department of Public Safety's online database for revoked licenses, and DeValkenaere's name was nowhere to be found. And that should sound the alarm for all Missourians, National Police Accountability Project executive director Lauren Bonds said. State police licensing agencies have broad discretion about when and whether to revoke an officer's license, she said. In many states, conviction of a crime would automatically trigger suspension or revocation of a license — but not in Missouri. 'Even if you disagree about whether an officer should face prison time for wrongfully killing someone, most people would agree that an officer that breaks the law and takes a life should not be an officer anymore,' Bonds said. Whether a complaint against DeValkenaere is on file or not, that shouldn't matter, in her opinion. 'Losing a policing license should be the bare minimum consequence for an officer that wrongfully kills someone,' she said. With DeValkenaere, that really doesn't seem to be the case.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Lamb family settles with KC police board for $4.1M in wrongful death lawsuit
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A federal court in the Western District of Missouri has approved a $4.1 million settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit brought forth by the family of Cameron Lamb — an unarmed Black man who was shot and killed by now-former KCPD detective Eric DeValkenaere in 2019. White officer who fatally shot Black man shouldn't have been in his backyard, judge rules in suit Lamb's family will receive $4.1 million in two installments, a large portion of which will go toward the family's legal fees. A trust has been established for Lamb's three children. According to court documents, the Kansas City police board has been ordered to pay the full amount; DeValkenaere has to pay nothing. FOX4 is working to learn if/how much of the $4.1 million will be paid with taxpayer dollars. According to court documents, DeValkenaere and the Board of Police Commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri, deny all allegations made by the Lamb family and admit no accountability in the death of Lamb. DeValkenaere and the board agreed to settle strictly 'for the purpose of avoiding further controversy, litigation, and expense.' However, DeValkenaere was found in 2021 and was sentenced to six years in prison. Kansas City detective guilty of manslaughter in shooting death of Cameron Lamb At his criminal trial, prosecutors argued that police scene to support DeValkenaere's claims that Lamb was armed. The KCPD detective left the police force after his conviction, but remained free on bond until losing his appeal in October 2023. In December 2024, Missouri Governor Mike Parson commuted DeValkenaere's prison sentence – when he still had nearly five years left to serve. DeValkenaere has since been released from prison. Family believes man shot by KCPD detective was a case of mistaken identity Grand jury indicts Kansas City police detective in shooting death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb Family of Cameron Lamb files lawsuit against officer who shot him, Kansas City Police Commissioners Defense justifies Cameron Lamb shooting; Prosecutors say he was targeted by KCPD Attorneys challenge gun's location in Cameron Lamb killing as KC detective's trial continues Kansas City detective takes the stand, explains decision in Cameron Lamb shooting Verdict pending after closing arguments for KCPD detective charged in Cameron Lamb's killing Kansas City detective guilty of manslaughter in shooting death of Cameron Lamb 2 years later, witness describes Cameron Lamb's killing for first time Cameron Lamb's family reacts after former KC detective sentenced in his killing Missouri court denies DeValkenaere's appeal bond motion White officer who fatally shot Black man shouldn't have been in his backyard, judge rules in suit Lawsuit against ex-KCPD detective says he violated civil rights of Cameron Lamb Kehoe says he'll send KCPD detective who killed Cameron Lamb home Eric DeValkenaere's sentence commuted in Cameron Lamb killing Family, community remembers Cameron Lamb 5 years after he was killed Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cryptocurrency scam; St. Francis woman loses $80,000
The Brief A St. Francis woman lost more than $80,000 to a cryptocurrency investment scam. She invested about $55,000 and paid another $30,000 in taxes and fees. The woman encountered the fake platform on social media and thought she'd doubled her money within weeks. Cryptocurrency has no central bank, which makes its money very hard to trace, especially if the money is transferred repeatedly. ST. FRANCIS, Wis. - A St. Francis woman thought she'd earned tens of thousands of dollars by investing in cryptocurrency. On her wedding anniversary, she surprised her husband with her earnings. The reality was devastating for both of them. "She had a big smile on her face saying, "Look what I did," recalled Scott Johansson. "All I thought was, 'This is not real.'" Johansson said his wife found the investment opportunity on Facebook. Her first investment was $30,000. It appeared to yield incredible gains within weeks. "Better than the stock market," said Johansson. "The interest said, you've basically doubled your money." Johansson said his wife invested a total of $55,000 in the scam. Eventually, she wanted to withdraw her $100,000 worth of cryptocurrency. To do that, she had to pay another $30,000 in taxes and fines. She paid another $30,000. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android "It was not until she was $80,000 in that she had to accept that she was being scammed," said Johansson. Contact 6 spoke with April DeValkenaere, owner of Fortress Forensic Investigations. DeValkenaere is a certified cryptocurrency investigator. "[The scammers] try to get you to invest a smaller amount first. They show you these incredible gains," said DeValkenaere. "Usually it's double your money within two to four weeks." DeValkenaere said victims can track their investments on fake platforms, like the one used by Johansson's wife. The reality is: the funds are gone as soon as they're deposited. In the meantime, the victim is investing more money and encouraged to let it sit as long as possible, to the scammer's benefit. "When (the victim takes) that case to law enforcement, the money was gone a year ago," said DeValkenaere, Cryptocurrency also has no central bank, which makes transactions very difficult to trace, especially if the money is transferred repeatedly. DeValkenaere advises against finding investment opportunities on social media. To protect yourself before any investment, including in cryptocurrency, DeValkenaere recommends going to and checking the broker's background. "It will give you a snapshot of their employment history. Are they licensed to actually provide services?" said DeValkenaere. Johnansson and his wife reported the crime to police. "(The officer) said there's a 99% chance that your money is gone," said Johansson. Investigators determined the scammers are most likely in Nigeria. Johansson's wife did not want to go on camera. "She has a really hard time sleeping at night," said Johansson. "She now has a lot of trust issues." SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Johansson said his wife thinks their lesson is important to share. "If it sounds too good to be true, it's fake," said Johansson. One big red flag in this case? Being asked to pay taxes before withdrawing any money. Cryptocurrency is unregulated, which means there shouldn't be any taxes. If it were regulated, that money would come from your earnings. The Source Information for this report comes from interviews with Scott Johansson and April DeValkenaere. Also, screenshots provided to Contact 6 of the scam platform by Johansson, email messages with the scammer and a St. Francis Police incident report.
