Wichita legislators to propose new way to investigate police-related shootings

Two Wichita legislators have agreed to propose legislation that would require police officers to be prosecuted by an independent prosecutor when involved in a shooting.

Rep. Gail Finney and Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, both of Wichita, say there’s a conflict of interest in police shooting investigations and want to introduce legislation that would require an outside party to prosecute police, instead of the local district attorney.

“A lot of time, the public views it as they’re all connected and that they’re working together to support law enforcement,” Finney said. “To … make it much more fair, and to have an independent prosecutor there, I think (the police) will have much more confidence from the community.”

The agreement comes amidst heightened tensions between Wichita’s black community and local police officers. At a Black Lives Matter protest on Tuesday, community leaders called for more accountability when it comes to prosecuting police.

Finney said although shootings and incidents of racial profiling have received more attention in recent years, they’ve always been an issue. Now, she said, people want action.

“People are getting tired of being pulled over for minor traffic infractions,” Finney said. “We’re bearing the brunt of a lot of these crimes, penalties and incarcerations, and we’ve gotten fed up.”

On Thursday, in the hopes of increasing trust, Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay announced a joint cookout Sunday between police officers and the Black Lives Matter protesters. Ramsay also this week said he supports having an independent prosecutor investigate police shootings.

Faust-Goudeau said she appreciates the effort Ramsay is putting into community involvement and engagement, but she thinks legislation will ensure a more long-term solution to trust issues between police and public.

Faust-Goudeau said she introduced a similar piece of legislation, SB 216, but it never got a hearing. She said she plans to reintroduce it in January 2017, when the next legislative session begins.

“I believe he wants to be transparent,” Faust-Goudeau said of Ramsay. “And that’s what the public wants.”

Finney said she anticipates opposition to any legislation requiring a third-party prosecution. But she thinks a bill requiring an outside prosecutor will benefit both the public and the police.

“It would give (police) a much higher profile and acceptability and likeability from the community if the citizens know that they’re going to be held accountable,” Finney said.

Faust-Goudeau said she thinks it’s a time for both the police and the community to come together to form a solution. She said she thinks there have been plenty of town hall talks, conversations and rallies, but now it is time to make some concrete change.

“We’ve got to do something,” she said.

This story was originally published July 15, 2016 at 7:10 AM with the headline "Wichita legislators to propose new way to investigate police-related shootings."