Republished March 27, 2019 - 12:12 PM
Original Publication Date March 27, 2019 - 10:16 AM
KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A man involved in an autopsy of Michael Brown after the black teenager was fatally shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, has been temporarily banned from conducting autopsies in Kansas.
A judge ruled Monday that Shawn Parcells, of Leawood, Kansas, can't resume his work until a lawsuit filed last week by the Kansas attorney general is resolved.
The lawsuit alleges Parcells is a self-taught pathology assistant who conducted coroner-ordered autopsies for Wabaunsee County without a qualified pathologist, as required by state law, the Kansas City Star reported.
The suit also alleges Parcells billed the county for 14 autopsies that weren't performed and collected payments for private autopsies that he also failed to conduct. The lawsuit noted that some families who sought Parcells' services believed he had medical qualifications and was licensed to perform the exams.
Parcells, 37, also faces criminal charges filed last week by Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt's office. Parcells is charged with theft and criminal desecration in regard to the autopsies.
His attorney, Eric Kjorlie, said they're considering their next steps.
Parcells assisted a privately hired pathologist in a second autopsy of Brown in 2014, after St. Louis County performed an initial examination but Brown's family and attorneys wanted an independent review.
Brown was 18 and unarmed when he was fatally shot by Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014. Wilson resigned from the police force that November, and he was later cleared of wrongdoing by a St. Louis County grand jury and the U.S. Justice Department.
The shooting and lack of charges against Wilson sparked nationwide protests and helped fuel the Black Lives Matter movement.
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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2019