Kansas Newspaper Publisher Sues Over Police Raid Linked to Mother's Death

The lawsuit alleges the raid violated First Amendment rights and caused the death of the publisher's 98-year-old mother, escalating tensions between the newspaper and local officials.

The Marion County Record's publisher, Eric Meyer, filed a lawsuit against Kansas officials for a police raid on his newspaper and home, claiming it violated First Amendment rights.
The raid, which occurred in August 2023, is said to have caused the stress-induced death of Meyer's 98-year-old mother, co-owner of the newspaper.
Officials defended the raid as a response to an identity theft complaint, but Meyer accuses them of weaponizing the criminal justice system for personal gain.
The lawsuit is one of four filed over the incident, highlighting a history of tension between the newspaper and local officials.
The newspaper was investigating the police chief who led the raid, who resigned after body camera footage showed him rifling through files about himself.

Voice of America (VOA News)