‘This cannot be tolerated’: Pastors say officers will have to work to rebuild trust
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Secret messages among Wichita-area law enforcement
A pattern of racism and disdain for people shot by police has surfaced in private messages between a small group of Wichita-area law enforcement officers, including several who have shot civilians.
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Two Black pastors in Wichita say racist and inappropriate messages sent by several law enforcement officers broke a bond with people in the community and that this behavior cannot be tolerated.
An Eagle investigation shed a light on how small group of officers from the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and the Wichita Police Department shared racist memes and insensitive comments about shooting people.
“I was glad that it came out because this is something that has been going on for generations. Some people are racist, and not just in the police department or law enforcement, but in the community in general,” said the Rev. Roosevelt DeShazer, a pastor with the Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Wichita.
The Rev. Carl Kirkendoll, the president of the Greater Wichita Ministerial league, says he believes more officers were involved in the exchange of messages.
“It might have been a couple of them who were exposed doing it, but I’m pretty sure they weren’t the only ones doing it; they just got caught. You’re not a thief until you get caught stealing, and you’re not a racist until it’s exposed — and they’ve been exposed,” Kirkendoll says.
DeShazer is a member of the God Squad, a group of black pastors that was created by former police Chief Gordon Ramsey with help from a former city council member. The organization was formed to “make sure good information got out to the community, as well as be a liaison between the community and the police department,” DeShazer said.
DeShazer says that Ramsey had told the God Squad last summer about the messages between Wichita police and the deputies, but only briefly.
“Chief said he was handling it, so I didn’t make it a big deal out of it. But now seeing the extent of it, I can understand why the community is upset about it. It’s definitely something that should not be tolerated,” DeShazer said.
The racist memes came to light in April 2021 when Wichita Police Department investigators searched the phone of a sheriff’s deputy in connection with unrelated case.
Eleven Wichita officers and three Sedgwick County deputies were investigated for the messages found on the deputy’s phone. Investigators found racist memes (one sent by Wichita officers and others sent by three deputies) and officers from the SWAT team making light of shooting people.
The three deputies are no longer with the sheriff’s department. One resigned and the other two retired under threat of firing. At the police department, the officer who sent the meme was disciplined but not suspended. Others involved in the discussion about shooting people were given coaching and mentoring.
DeShazer says that he appreciates the swift action Sheriff Jeff Easter took against the deputies involved, but thinks they got off too easily by resigning or retiring.
“This stuff cannot be tolerated, and they must have a very strict policy for this type of conduct and stand firm on it,” he said.
Both pastors say they hope for more transparency in hopes of rebuilding trust with the community.
In a statement the day after the Eagle first reported the messages, Easter noted that people in the community are upset after learning of the behavior of several of his deputies.
“Of course they are not happy with the information that is being reported, which I have to tell you is true and accurate information. However, the way that we handled it, they understand and appreciate the fact that we handled the situation as we did,” Easter said.
Sheriff Easter said he talked with the Greater Wichita Ministerial League that same day to discuss what rebuilding trust with the community will look like. He had talked about training and sensitivity classes — but it’s going to take more than that, Kirkendoll said.
“It’s about them getting out and exposing themselves more to the community and let them know that they’re human too by getting out and socializing, breaking bread and communicating with each other. We have to form a relationship between law enforcement and the community where we can all come together and get to talking about issues,” Kirkendoll said.
Kirkendoll says he has not had the opportunity to speak with interim Wichita police Chief Lem Moore.
This story was originally published March 26, 2022 at 12:00 AM.
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