Kansas – August 22, 2023
Recent security footage provides insight into a heated encounter between Joan Meyer, a co-owner of a Kansas newspaper, and law enforcement officers during an August 11 raid. The footage captures Meyer, 98, using her walker to navigate her home while engaged in a confrontational exchange with officers who were present as part of the raid.
Meyer’s confrontation centered around her disbelief that officers had the right to be in her home. She repeatedly demanded that they leave, using strong language and expressing her skepticism.
In the video, Meyer also engaged in a verbal altercation with an officer, challenging him about his relationship with his mother. At one point, she addressed a police officer she mistook for the police chief, using confrontational language.
The incident took a toll on Meyer, a respected journalist with six decades of experience. She passed away a day after the raid, reportedly due to the stress of the situation.
Days following the raid, authorities determined that there was insufficient evidence to warrant the raids. As a result, a request was made to return all seized items.
The raids were initiated based on suspicions that a reporter may have committed identity theft while accessing records related to Kari Newell, a restaurant owner. The newspaper and the reporter asserted that the records they accessed were already publicly available.
Throughout the footage, Meyer can be seen standing her ground, despite officers’ insistence that they had a court order to be present. She confronted them while they conducted their search and expressed her opposition.
Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody’s perspective on the incident was unavailable at the time. Attempts to reach a woman who appeared to be connected to Cody were not successful.
The security footage offers a glimpse into the tense interaction between the newspaper co-owner and law enforcement, shedding light on the clash of perspectives surrounding the raid.
