For Immediate Release
 Oct. 27, 2022

A former Kansas City Police Department sergeant, Matthew Neal, 42, pleaded guilty today to felony assault charges for excessive force he used against a Kansas City juvenile in November 2019, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced.

A Jackson County judge accepted Neal’s plea of guilty. Neal agreed he cannot carry a firearm and he would surrender his post license required to be a police officer, complete an anger management class, have no contact with the victim or his family and would send a written apology to the victim. Those were conditions of his 4-year probation.

Neal’s attorney told the court that Neal had resigned from the Kansas City police department yesterday.

The victim in this case did not make an appearance because of his strong interest in maintaining his privacy, Deputy Prosecutor Dion Sankar told the court. "The state remains in communication with the (young) victim in this case…The state would note that the victim thanks this court and others for the work put into this case. He fully supports this outcome and the finality it will bring."

This case was not charged by way of complaint using a probable cause statement. Rather, Neal was charged by Jackson County citizens who served on the grand jury by way of indictment. This office thanks the local and federal law enforcement agencies who assisted in this matter.

In 2020, during her announcement of the charges, Baker noted, “I hope all involved in this case and our community will rally around this victim and support him.”  Today, the office asks for the community's continued support of this young man.

Michael Mansur

 Director of Communication
 Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office
 Jean Peters Baker, Prosecutor
 work : (816) 881-3812
 Mobile : (816) 674-3954
www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com
mmansur@jacksongov.org