The former police chief who led a raid on a small Kansas newspaper last year will be charged with interfering with the judicial process for actions he took after the raid, special prosecutors announced in a report Monday.
The charge against the former police chief will be filed in Marion County District Court, according to the 124-page report from Sedgwick County District Attorney and Riley County Attorney.
The report states that the prosecutors found probable cause that the former police chief “committed the crime of obstruction of justice,” related to his text exchange with a local restaurant owner after the raid.
The raid on The Marion County Record, the home of its publisher, and a local city councilwoman's home in August 2023 drew condemnation from news organizations and press freedom advocates for its intrusiveness and First Amendment rights concerns.
The Marion County Sheriff’s office initially said they were investigating “identity theft” and “unlawful acts concerning computers” but later withdrew the search warrants due to insufficient evidence.
The special prosecutors criticized the “inadequate investigation” that led to the raids and raised questions about the motivations behind them.
Despite this, the prosecutors found no evidence of wrongdoing by other law enforcement officers or civilians involved in the raids.
The prosecutors also considered whether to charge the officers in connection with the death of the newspaper publisher’s mother the day after the raid, but determined there was no evidence of intent to cause harm.
There are five open federal lawsuits against Marion officials related to the raids, including one filed by the publisher and another by the reporter.
The reporter expressed satisfaction with the charge against the former police chief, stating that she believes justice will eventually be served.
