Two former Kansas City Police Department officers have pleaded guilty to their assault charges in the senseless beating of a Black trans woman, per KSHB. The 2019 incident was caught on video and the two officers were permanently barred from serving in law enforcement in the state of Missouri.
Brianna “BB” Hill, 30, called 911 after getting in an argument with a beauty supply store owner, who also called the cops to have her removed, per the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Former officers Matthew Brummet and Charles Prichard claimed Hill resisted arrest. However, the video taken by a bystander showed a much more violent interaction than the officers led on.
The prosecutor’s office said the video showed the officers slamming Hill’s face against the sidewalk, kneeing her in her face, torso and ribs and forcing her arms over her head while handcuffed and laying on her stomach.
Brummett and Prichard initially pleaded not guilty to fourth-degree assault, a misdemeanor. Then, a grand jury upgraded their misdemeanor to a Class E felony in July 2020.
More on the case from KSHB:
Charles Prichard and Matthew Brummett were sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation and also must surrender their peace officers’ license under terms of the plea. Neither can serve in law enforcement in Missouri again.
Brummett and Prichard also are barred from possessing guns while on probation and prohibited from having contact with the family of the victim, Brianna Hill, the judge ruled. If Prichard or Brummett violate the terms of their probation, they would be subject to up to a four-year prison sentence.
Hill survived the assault. However, reports say she was later shot to death in an unrelated incident. It’s a gut-wrenching reality that Black trans lives are constantly being threatened by the average person and the police they should be able to call on for help.
Hill had been supported by The Justice Project Kansas City for over 15 years. The organization’s director, Kris Wade, told KSHB Hill’s death is a reflection of what trans women of color face.
“Trans women of color literally are in danger the second they walk out of their house. We’ve had so many trans women on our caseload murdered. Brianna was just one of many,” said Wade.