Missouri senators, not taxpayers, will pay potential damages in Chiefs rally shooting case

February 14, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, United States; General view of police cars after shots were fired following the celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs' victory in Super Bowl LVIII. Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers will have to pay out of pocket if they lose defamation lawsuits filed against them for falsely accusing a Kansas man of being one of the Kansas City Chiefs parade shooters and an illegal immigrant in the country. .

Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson told his administration Monday not to use taxpayer money to pay for possible damages awarded to Denton Loudermill Jr., of Olathe, Kan., in his lawsuits against three state lawmakers.

But Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey's office will continue to represent the state's senators, although Parson called it “problematic” earlier this month.

“We are not going to target innocent people in this state,” Parson told reporters earlier this month. “This gentleman did nothing wrong other than going to a parade, drinking beer and getting inspected.”

The Feb. 14 shooting outside historic Union Station in Kansas City, Mo., killed a well-known DJ and injured more than 20 others, including many children.

READ MORE: 3 Men Face Gun Charges After Investigation Into Kansas City Chiefs Parade Shooting

Loudermill, who was never cited or arrested in the shooting, is seeking at least $75,000 in damages in each of the lawsuits.

“Missouri residents should not be held responsible for legal fees related to judgments owed to state senators who falsely attacked a private citizen on social media,” Parson wrote in a letter Monday to his administrative commissioner.

Loudermill last month filed nearly identical federal lawsuits against three Republican Missouri state senators: Rick Brattin, of Harrisonville; Denny Hoskins, of Warrensburg; and Nick Schroer, of St. Charles County.

The complaints say Loudermill suffered “humiliation, embarrassment, insult and inconvenience” due to his “highly offensive” posts.

A spokesperson for the Missouri attorney general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press Monday regarding Parson's request not to pay for potential damages or lawsuits filed against the senators.

Loudermill froze so long after shots rang out that police had time to display crime scene tape, according to the lawsuits. As he attempted to walk under the tape to exit, officers stopped him and told him he was moving “too slowly.”

READ MORE: In Missouri, gun laws take center stage after another shooting

They handcuffed him and placed him on a sidewalk, where people began taking photos and posting them on social media. Loudermill was eventually removed from the area and told he was free to leave.

But messages soon began appearing on lawmakers' accounts on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter, including a photo of Loudermill and accusations that he was an “illegal alien” and a “shooter.” according to the lawsuits.

Loudermill, born and raised in the United States, received death threats even though he was not involved in the shooting, according to the complaints.

The litigation described him as an “active member of his African-American family, a family with deep and long roots in his Kansas community.”

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February 14, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, United States; General view of police cars after shots were fired following the celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs' victory in Super Bowl LVIII. Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters