The first white cop convicted of killing a Black man in the state of Missouri has been set free after serving a little over a year behind bars. On Friday (Dec. 20), Gov. Michael L. Parson commuted the six-year sentence former Kansas City officer Eric DeValkenaere received after being convicted in the Dec. 3, 2019, fatal shooting of Cameron Lamb.
The 26-year-old was gunned down in the backyard of his home within seconds of Eric and his partner, Detective Troy Schwalm, stepping foot onto the property. Lamb had just pulled into his driveway after officers observed him chase after a vehicle, later confirmed as being operated by his girlfriend, following a heated argument.
The convicted public servant testified that he witnessed the young man brandish a weapon upon his return to the residence. However, an investigation determined the victim did not have a gun when four shots were fired at him. Eric was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action, resulting in a six-year prison sentence in October 2023. He was also found guilty of violating Lamb’s rights after trespassing onto the property without a warrant or probable cause in a civil suit filed by the man’s family.
Laurie Bey, the descendant's mother, said that the news of the governor’s decision was a gut punch. “They let me know loud and clear that they feel like my son’s life did not matter,” she told KCTV on Friday. “This ain’t the first time they’ve shown they don’t care about nobody but they personal selves,” said Aquil Bey, Lamb’s stepfather, in a separate interview with the local FOX 4 affiliate. “They can do anything all the wrong in the world they want to do to you, and just because they are in a position to excuse it with their own moralistic values is crazy.”
Eric’s commutation was one of nine that Parson signed off on ahead of the holidays. It does not remove the offense from his criminal record. Sarah DeValkenaere, his wife, sought clemency for the former detective last year. During a radio interview she said, “My husband would have never shot his gun until Cameron reached for it and started raising it up towards Troy.” The office of the Jackson County Prosecutor expressed that they strongly opposed talks of clemency, noting, “The rule of law has spoken clearly on this matter.”
In his first statement since regaining his freedom, the former detective shared, “I am so grateful to the thousands of people who stood with me, prayed for me, wrote and called Gov. Parson, and advocated tirelessly for this commutation. Thanks to all of you, I’m home with my family for Christmas,” via a tweet posted by the Law Enforcement Legal Defense.