Missouri AG: Conviction of former KCPD detective accused of killing Black man should be reversed

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed a brief requesting to overturn the conviction of a former KCPD detective in the 2019 death of a Black man.

Eric DeValkenaere was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and armed criminal action in the 2019 killing of Cameron Lamb. DeValkenaere was later sentenced to six years in prison. He has remained free on bond.

Bailey filed his request Monday afternoon.

“The Court should reverse DeValkenaere’s convictions and order that he be discharged or order a new trial,” Bailey wrote.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker held an unplanned press conference on Monday evening to address a filing from Missouri’s attorney general regarding the Eric DeValkenaere case.

Baker was present with the trial team for the case against DeValkenaere. She said her office had heard rumors and that Mayor Quinton Lucas confirmed those rumors. “And that was a very unfortunate action taken by the Missouri attorney general late today,” Baker said.

Baker said the news was unprecedented.

“Keep in mind the Missouri attorney general is the highest law enforcement officer in the state,” Baker said. “So, as the highest law enforcement officer, well this is extremely distressing and unfortunate, disappointing.”

“He’s really attempting to expand his power to that of a judge,” Baker also said of the AG. “In this case, we already have a set of judges ready to hear this case; that’s the Western District Court of Appeals.”

Baker said she and the mayor discussed their concerns surrounding what might be next, including civil unrest.

Baker said she wouldn’t go into the detail of the AG’s filing, but that it implies the trial team and judge got it wrong.

“I want Kansas Citians to know this: This office will keep fighting,” Baker said. “It’s what we do. We fight for justice.”

Bailey wrote “The evidence credited by the trial court did not support the convictions entered by the trial court…DeValkenaere also was not criminally negligent—both because he did not act with criminal negligence in causing Mr. Lamb’s death and because he reasonably used deadly force in defense of Schwalm.”

Stay with KCTV5 News for more. This is a breaking news story.

Previous coverage:

Pastors, prosecutor plead with Missouri governor not to pardon Kansas City police detective

Governor and prosecutor accuse each other of political games in possible pardon of KCPD detective Eric DeValkenaere

Family members, attorneys react to sentencing of former Kansas City police officer Eric DeValkenaere

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