Kansas deputy charged with murder knelt on inmate for 1 minute and 26 seconds

A photo of Charles Adair, a man killed when a deputy kneeled on his back in a Kansas jail, was displayed Sunday, Sept. 23, 2025, at a news conference held by his family and their attorneys at Friendship Baptist Church in Kansas City, Mo. —AP Photo/Heather Hollingsworth, File

**KANSAS CITY, Kan.** — A white Kansas sheriff’s deputy charged with murder in the death of a Black jail inmate pushed his knee into the cuffed man’s back for one minute and 26 seconds after he was wheeled back to his cell from the infirmary, newly released court records show.

Richard Fatherly was charged last month with second-degree murder and an alternative count of involuntary manslaughter in Charles Adair’s July 5 death at the Wyandotte County detention center in Kansas City, Kansas. Adair had been arrested one day before his death on misdemeanor warrants for failure to appear on multiple traffic violations.

“The newly released affidavit confirms that Charles Adair was handcuffed, lying on his stomach with a severely injured leg, and posed no threat when a deputy pressed a knee into his back, resulting in his death,” said Ben Crump, an attorney representing the family, in a news release Friday.

Fatherly has received a summons calling for him to appear in court next month but has not been booked into jail. His attorney has stated that he acted reasonably and intends to pursue an acquittal.

At the time of the incident, Adair’s leg required amputation and was so badly infected that he was immediately taken to the hospital, a Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent wrote in the affidavit. The court records were released this week following a request from The Associated Press and other news outlets.

Before Adair was cleared to return to the jail, he was diagnosed with a type of bone infection that sometimes develops in people with diabetes. A medical screening also found that he was schizophrenic, the affidavit said.

After having his leg rewrapped the following evening, Adair got into an argument with the deputy who was returning him to his cell. Adair ultimately threw himself out of the wheelchair, according to the affidavit.

During interviews, several deputies described Adair as incoherent. One deputy believed the infection from his leg was affecting his brain, the affidavit noted.

Adair was handcuffed with his arms in front. Once back in his cell, he was placed on his stomach on the bottom bunk, with his legs and knees on the ground. He could be heard yelling “Help!” repeatedly, the affidavit said.

Fatherly then appeared on video, telling him, “You’re done,” as he placed his left knee on the lower part of Adair’s back. Adair responded with “OK” and pushed his arms forward. Just as Adair ceased moving, Fatherly shifted his weight forward, appearing to apply more pressure on Adair’s lower back, the affidavit detailed.

The autopsy listed Adair’s manner of death as homicide and his cause of death as complications from “mechanical asphyxia,” a condition in which breathing is obstructed.

The sheriff’s office has declined a records request from The Associated Press seeking the body camera video that state investigators reviewed. Attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels were allowed to view the video and have demanded that it be released publicly. They have also questioned why Fatherly remains free while Adair was jailed over traffic violations.

“Because of the color of your skin, a traffic violation should not equal a death sentence,” Crump said at the news conference last week.

Fatherly’s attorney, James Spies, stated last month that Adair’s death was “a tragic accident” but was not a result of Fatherly’s actions.

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https://www.phillytrib.com/news/across_america/kansas-deputy-charged-with-murder-knelt-on-inmate-for-1-minute-and-26-seconds/article_fe104a06-a1ec-4caa-8540-5e33de01896a.html

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