Bradley Boyd, a deputy police chief with Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools and an elected member of the Olathe school board, is now the subject of two separate criminal investigations. The scrutiny follows an incident along Interstate 35 in Olathe earlier this month and a wave of complaints lodged by his own officers.
Boyd was pulled from his police cruiser along I-35 in Olathe on November 3 after what police characterized as a suicide attempt, according to KMBC. The interstate was shut down in both directions for more than an hour during the incident, the station reported. An Olathe police incident report lists a possible crime of possessing a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, per the same account, and a conviction on that charge is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine under Kansas law, which defines the offense as knowingly possessing or carrying a loaded firearm while too impaired to safely operate it.
James Spies told the station that Boyd could potentially face additional charges, and said the situation raises questions about whether the district thoroughly vetted and scrutinized him before his promotion. As of November 10, the Olathe Police Department had not referred Boyd's firearm-under-the-influence case to the Johnson County District Attorney's Office or Olathe Municipal Court, the station's report notes.
A Promotion Followed Within Days by Officer Complaints
Boyd was promoted from sergeant to deputy police chief on October 27, with the school board approving the move the night before district police chief Gary Washington announced the board's approval in an email to officers the following day. Just weeks earlier, on October 4, anonymous police officers had emailed schools chief operations officer Miguel Martin with complaints about Boyd, the station's report states.
Those officers claimed Boyd failed to pay their legal defense coverage, insurance, and national and state Fraternal Order of Police dues — funds that come directly out of officers' pay. As FOP president, Boyd was reportedly the only person with access to the lodge's bank account, and the officers' coverage and insurance were canceled because of non-payment while their FOP dues lapsed for the same reason, per the same account.
The officers also claimed Boyd left work early in his police vehicle to work another job and did not respond to their concerns. They said they believed the matter warranted immediate and thorough investigation, and that their worries about his leadership motivated them to come forward. FOP members gained access to their bank account on November 6 and, based on their review, are referring the matter for criminal investigation, the station's report indicates.
School District Calls It a Personnel Matter
A Kansas City, Kansas, school district spokesperson called Boyd's situation a personnel matter and offered no further comment, according to the same report. The response echoes how the district has handled other internal police disputes — in June, Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools told the Kansas City Star it could not comment on a separate personnel matter involving then-deputy police chief Syler Colaço, citing confidentiality.
That earlier dispute involved Colaço, who said the district was moving to terminate him in retaliation for investigating alleged time theft by another officer and reporting it to the state commission. Colaço said a Kansas CPOST investigator's letter confirmed he had not lied about the timeline of his report, and CPOST executive director Mike Brown confirmed the letter's information was accurate, the Star reported. The same report noted that at least 10 KCKPS officers — a third of the force — resigned in the months leading up to that story, and that then-police chief Chad Whiteman had planned to resign at the end of his contract year on June 30, with the district continuing his salary and benefits through that date.
By July, the Star reported that KCKPS had fired Colaço after nearly 12 years on the district police force. At a public meeting that month, Colaço told school board members that administrators had interfered with a 2022 law enforcement investigation involving two teachers, while three residents — including two former KCKPS students and one former school police officer — alleged that the district had not properly addressed incidents involving mistreatment of children by staff.
Community Members Raise Oversight Concerns
Boyd's dual roles have also drawn attention beyond the school police department. He participated in a unanimous, controversial school board vote to close six Olathe schools before the current controversy emerged. Gera Netcher, co-founder of Olathe Families United, said Boyd's situation has raised community concerns about how school board members conduct themselves outside their official roles.
Spies's comments about vetting echo that sentiment, questioning whether the district scrutinized Boyd closely enough before elevating him to deputy chief. As of the most recent reporting, the two criminal investigations into Boyd remain open, with no indication from Olathe police or the district on when they might conclude.
