Family seeks answers in Lafayette County deputy shooting of unarmed teen
Michelle Washington’s family says nearly two months of silence still surround the patrol car strike and shooting that killed 19-year-old Saveion McConnell near Lone Jack.
A Lafayette County deputy hit 19-year-old Saveion McConnell with a patrol car and then shot him after he got up during a chase off U.S. Highway 50 near Lone Jack on May 1.
The episode began around 2 a.m. near Highway 131 and U.S. Highway 50, where deputies were responding to a separate shooting that injured a 17-year-old girl. Officers later found McConnell near U.S. Highway 50 and NW 1601 Road in Johnson County, and no weapon was recovered at the scene.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control is handling the officer-involved shooting investigation, while the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting that injured the teen girl. An initial body-camera review challenged witness claims that McConnell had his hands up. Neither agency had released additional updates.
McConnell’s family held a vigil and balloon release in Lee’s Summit on May 4, gathering friends, relatives and supporters to remember the 2025 graduate of Lee’s Summit North High School. Romanucci & Blandin opened a civil investigation on May 21. McConnell was an unarmed Black teenager who played football and basketball in high school. Michelle Washington said McConnell was her only son, and that he had been pursuing trade programs and exploring college opportunities.
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