Remembrance ceremony honors Cameron Lamb, calls for justice reform

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Family, friends, and community gathered Saturday at Southside First Missionary Baptist Church to honor the life of Cameron Lamb – a father who was shot and killed in his own garage by a Kansas City police detective in 2019.

The officer, Eric DeValkenaere, was later convicted. He was sentenced to six years in prison. But in December of last year, former Missouri Governor Mike Parson commuted DeValkenaere’s sentence — a move that sparked public outcry and reopened wounds for Lamb’s family.

For Cameron’s mother, Laurie Bey, the pain remains constant.

“A lot of days are good, but then there’s some days where you know, you’re thinking about him really hard, and then that overall emotional heart just hits you,” Bey said.

Saturday’s remembrance ceremony ended with a balloon release in Cameron’s honor. Attendees wore wristbands bearing his name and shared memories.

Earlier this year, the Lamb family reached a $4.1 million settlement with the Board of Police Commissioners after filing a civil lawsuit. A judge had previously ruled that DeValkenaere violated Lamb’s Fourth Amendment rights before using deadly force.

READ MORE: Heroes unite! Belton ‘superheroes’ fight for 5-year-old battling leukemia

Laurie Bey said a portion of that settlement will be used to build a better future for Cameron’s children.

“There will be money set aside for their college,” she said.

Despite the financial resolution, Bey said the governor’s decision to commute the sentence left her family feeling like justice was denied.

“Do you think that it’s fair to my family and his three little boys that we have to go to the cemetery on his birthdays, on Father’s Day?” she asked.

Also present at the event was Steve Young of the Kansas City Law Enforcement ability Project (LEAP), a community watchdog group that investigates police-involved shootings and works closely with the prosecutor’s office on cases.

“We’re going to continue to work with the excessive use of force unit of the prosecutor’s office who actually works to prosecute police,” Young said.

He believes systemic change won’t come until law enforcement holds its own officers able.

“It’s funny how they don’t want to be held able themselves, you know, which would actually make the whole community a safer place if they would hold their own able,” he said.

As Cameron’s family continues to mourn, they also remain committed to turning their grief into action. Laurie Bey said they will keep telling his story, not only to honor his memory but to help prevent another family from going through the same heartbreak.

ALSO READ: Missouri man injured after car goes airborne and lands in ditch

Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.