An investigation is underway as another black man has lost his life as the result of an officer-related shooting.
From the Kansas City Star:
The incident began Tuesday afternoon when a disturbance between two vehicles was reported near 35th Street and College Avenue. A police helicopter tracked one of the vehicles, which pulled behind a residence in the 4100 block of College.
Detectives approached a man in the vehicle and “the officer was put in a position where he had to discharge his firearm,” said Capt. Tim Hernandez, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department.
A neighbor told the Star that he heard four shots as he walked into his kitchen.
Police investigating the scene discovered Cameron Lamb, 26, inside of a vehicle with his left arm and head hanging out of the driver’s side window. On the ground was a gun, next to his left hand.
Per department protocols, the detective has been placed on administrative leave.
“We hear many times about stuff happening, but you never know this thing is going to hit your home and it hurts” Laurie Bey, Lamb’s mother, told Fox 4 KC.
“We lost a brother. Our mom lost her only son, and we have three nephews who don’t have a dad now. It’s definitely not going to be the same,” Vanessa Gray, Lamb’s sister, said. “It feels like a huge piece of your heart is just ripped out.”
The Star reports that Lamb’s death was the 142nd homicide in Kansas City, Mo., this year.
On Twitter, civil rights attorney S. Lee Merritt noted the peculiar details surrounding Lamb’s death.
“My office has been formally retained to represent the family of #CameronLamb who was killed by KCPD Tuesday December 3, 2019 as he was repairing cars in his own backyard,” Merritt tweeted. “He was deeply loved and his murder represents an irreplaceable loss for this family. They demand justice.”
The lack of transparency from the Kansas City Police Department is deeply concerning, but at this point comes as no surprise. Lamb’s family believes he was wrongly targeted and until justice is served, they’ll remain vigilant.
“We just want to know what happened, we just want to know the truth,” Shelice Sheppar, Lamb’s sister, told Fox 4 KC. “It’s not much more we can say other than we want the truth to come out and we want people to just be honest and tell us how it is, no matter what happened.”
KCPD’s Homicide Unit is investigating the shooting.