Kansas City officer pleads guilty to assaulting Black teen

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City, Missouri, police sergeant who kneed a Black 15-year-old in the neck and pushed his face into the ground of a parking lot has pleaded guilty to third-degree assault. After his plea Thursday, Matthew Neal was placed on four years probation and required to surrender his law enforcement license. Neal confronted the teen after a car pursuit in November 2019. Prosecutors said the teenager and an adult driving the car were not resisting when Neal pressed his knee into the teen’s head and neck, making it difficult for him to breathe. He suffered bruising, broken teeth and a gash on his head. The victim was not arrested or charged with any crime.