The Kansas City Defender

We are publishing the full, unedited recordings and the prosecutor's memo so you can see all of it yourself. View the full investigation here: kansascitydefender.com/justi…

Russell justifies one shot: a hand near a waistband. He never analyzes the second, or the ninth. Even if one believed every word of the deputy's story. That would only justify the first shot. There are eight more, and six came after Saveion was on the ground.

For 4 and a half months the state hid this tape and hid the deputy's name. On Tuesday, Johnson County Prosecutor Robert Russell released a memo: no charges. The memo was addressed to three police commanders. It misspells Saveion's name on every page.

Earlier on the same recording, one of the two officers says: "Trying to find a Black kid at night, that's always fun." Minutes later, they found one.

In the seconds before the gunfire, the officer standing next to Lewie can be heard yelling "Taser! Taser! Taser!" The man beside him judged the moment called for a Taser. Lewie fired a gun. Nine times.

Saveion was 19. Went to Lee's Summit North HS in Missouri. Played sports. Was the only son among his mother's four children. He was unarmed & never charged with a crime. On May 1, Lafayette County Deputy Kenneth Lewie hit him with a patrol car, then later opened fire.

BREAKING: Bodycam footage shows the police lynching of unarmed Black teen Saveion McConnell. A Missouri deputy shot at him 9 times. At least 6 of those shots came after Saveion was already incapacitated on the pavement. The prosecutor says it was legal. Watch. 🧵

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The federal government could pursue locations in neighboring Grandview, unincorporated Jackson County, or across the state lines. Even with the moratorium, the federal government has vast authority to override local ordinances through eminent domain and the Supremacy Clause.

THE CITY'S RESPONSE Hours after ICE conducted its site walkthrough, Kansas City's City Council voted 12-1 to pass a five-year moratorium on permits, licenses, and zoning approvals for any non-municipal carceral facility.

PUBLIC MONEY FOR CONCENTRATION CAMPS The warehouse was built with public support on land that Kansas City spent decades developing.

Numerous pages on Platform Ventures' website now return a 404 error, including those that previously listed staff. The company's LinkedIn profiles have been removed. According to Councilman Duncan, their phones ring unanswered to his calls. "Their offices have gone dark."

"We should be publicly and privately shaming Platform Ventures," Duncan said. "They are a KC company that has received public dollars for years and they need to get the message that the KC community does not appreciate being sold out by a local company for quick financial gain."

In an interview with The Defender, Councilman Duncan told us "calls to Platform Ventures have gone unanswered."

The statement claimed Platform Ventures was approached in October 2025 with an "unsolicited offer" to purchase what it called a "vacant industrial warehouse." "PV does not question prospective buyers on their intent after close," the statement read.

THE SECRET DEAL On Friday, Platform Ventures broke its silence. In a statement, the company confirmed that "all negotiations are complete."

Platform Ventures, a Kansas City-based real estate firm with $2.7 billion in assets under management, is the property owner. Polsinelli, one of the nation's largest law firms, was the legal representative handling the transaction.

Off-camera, a Department of Homeland Security supervisor confirmed to Abarca that the facility would hold at least 7,500 people.

ICE conducted a walkthrough last Wednesday morning. Jackson County Legislator Manny Abarca arrived at the facility to observe. Federal agents surrounded his vehicle, threatened him with arrest, shined flashlights through his windows, and blocked his truck from leaving.