Handcuffed Man Dies Face Down After Deputy Puts a Knee in His Back | Crime Alert 1PM 10.07.25

A Kansas deputy faces a murder charge as new video shows him kneeling on a handcuffed inmate’s back for nearly a minute and a half before the man died inside the Wyandotte County Jail. The chief meteorologist for New Orleans TV station WDSU is on leave after police say he attacked his girlfriend while her two children slept nearby. Drew Nelson reports.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alert hourly update, Breaking crime news Now. I'm Drew Nelson.
A Kansas deputy faces a murder charge as new video
shows him kneeling on a handcuffed inmates back for nearly
a minute and a half before the man died inside
the Wine Dot County jail. Fifty year old Charles Adair
turned himself in on July fourth on misdemeanor traffic warrants.

(00:20):
He was taken to the jail on the next day
after being medically cleared for an infected leg wound. Just
one day later, he was dead. Prosecutors say Deputy Richard
Fatherly knelt on Adair's back for eighty six seconds while
Adair lay face down and handcuffed. The autopsy ruled his
death a homicide caused by quote complications of mechanical asphyxia.

(00:42):
An affidavit from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation says Adari
yell help as deputies restrain him on a bunk bed.
Surveillance video showed Fatherly placing his knee on Adare's lower
back while saying, quote, you're done, stop, give me your hands.
Adair said okay and stop moving. Seconds later, nurse found
no pulse. He was pronounced dead at nine to nineteen pm.

(01:04):
Fatherly eight thirty two has been charged with second degree
murder or in the alternative, involuntary manslaughter. He remains free
on summons and has not been booked into jail. As
lawyer says, the death was quote a tragic accident. Attorney
Ben Crump, representing the Adair family, said, quote The newly
released affidavit confirms that Charles Adair was handcuffed, lying on

(01:25):
his stomach with a severely injured leg, and posed no
threat when a deputy pressed a knee into his back,
resulting in his death. We will continue advocating for Charles
Adair and his family, demanding full transparency and accountability.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
It sometimes it's hard to kind of wrap my head
around that it wasn't just a one on one interaction,
that there were other officers and other staff that were
around and that were witnessing this, because it always begs
to question, why didn't somebody jump in.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
That's Nicki Richardson, executive director of Justice for Windott, which
she founded after George Floyd was killed under similar circumstance.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
The reason why I got into this work was to
hopefully prevent that from happening in my own city, and
it breaks my heart that I wasn't able to do that.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
Richardson spoke to KCTV condemning the lack of accountability.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
For a person to be able to walk free after
being charged by DA with such a severe crime's just
unheard of, and I believe and family believes, it's just
absolutely unacceptable.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
Adair's family continues to call for the public release of
the jail video. A preliminary hearing for Fatherly is set
for November eighteenth, and Wine Dot County District Court more
crime and justice news After this, The chief meteorologist for

(02:44):
New Orleans TV station WDSU is on leave after police
say he attacked his girlfriend while her two children slept nearby.
Devin Lucy, age forty eight, was arrested early Sunday at
his home in Marrero. He faces charges of domestic abuse
with child endangerment, and resisting an officer by refusing to
identify himself. According to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, deputies

(03:06):
said the incident began after an argument at a festival
in Gretna. The woman told police that Lucy left the
event and her mother drove her back to his home.
She said she pried the door open and went inside.
The pair argued again. Lucy left, but later returned and
allegedly punched her while she was in bed. Her two
children were asleep on a couch in the living room.

(03:27):
Deputies wrote that the woman had quote several small cuts
and scratches on most of her upper body, as well
as several whelps on her forehead and face. She told
investigators quote they wrestled and she fought back in self defense.
Deputies say Lucy had visible scratches on his face and
refused to give his name or date of birth. He
also refused to put on clothing or clean his injuries.

(03:49):
Lucy was booked in at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center
and later released. The station says he has been placed
on leave quote pending the investigation. Lucy joined WDSU in
tw twenty one and was named chief meteorologist in August
after Margaret Or retired. He is a certified broadcast meteorologist
through the American Meteorological Society and has worked in Denver,

(04:11):
Las Vegas, Washington, d C. In Kansas City. Police in
Montgomery County, Maryland are still searching for Hi May Romero,
a thirty year old electrician from Gaithersburg who vanished more
than fourteen years ago after sending a final text to
his fiancee. Romero was last seen on April second of
twenty eleven. That night, he left his girlfriend's home around

(04:32):
nine fifteen pm, saying he had to get back because
his mother had made dinner. About forty five minutes later,
he texted her quote, so pretty my baby. I love you.
That was the last time anyone heard from him. The
next morning, his car was parked outside his home on
the nine thousand block of Center Way Road. His wallet, keys,
and cell phone were on the passenger seat. His mother
found it after realizing he had not come home. There

(04:54):
were no signs of a struggle. Police said there was
no evidence of foul play, but called the case unusual,
as most missing person cases resolved within a week. Romero's
phone last pinged off towers in Washington, d C. And
Virginia before going silent. He ran a business called Elite
Electrical Design and was described as a devout Jehovah's witness
who did not drink or used drugs. It suffered a

(05:16):
severe leg injury months before his disappearance. And had difficulty
walking long distances. Romero was five foot seven, one hundred
and fifty seven to one hundred eighty two pounds, with
black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing
a dark short sleeved shirt, black zip up sweater, blue jeans,
and white sneakers. Anyone with information is asked to contact
Montgomery County Police at two four zero seven seven three

(05:39):
sixty two forty six. For the latest crime and justice news,
follow Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app
with this crime Alert. I'm Drew Nelson.