Governor Mike Parson has come under widespread criticism for his decision to reduce the sentence of Britt Reid, former assistant coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, who had been convicted for causing severe injury while driving drunk. Reid, the son of Chiefs Coach Andy Reid, had received a three-year prison sentence in November 2022 and had also completed his alcohol abuse treatment program. However, Parson’s decision to move Reid from jail to house arrest is being deemed as unjust and unfair, especially when compared to his refusal to pardon Kevin Strickland, another convict who was proclaimed to be “factually innocent”. Many critics, including State Senator Tony Luetkemeyer and Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman, voiced their objections to Parson’s decision on social media, labeling it as a case of elitist favoritism and a miscarriage of justice.
In February 2021, Reid’s vehicle had struck two others at an interstate entrance ramp, leaving six individuals, including Reid, injured. One of the victims was a five-year-old girl named Ariel Young, who suffered a traumatic brain injury. The Chiefs had agreed to cover her ongoing medical costs, while Reid acknowledged his actions in court. Critics have also compared Reid’s case to that of Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who were pardoned by Parson after being found guilty of brandishing guns at racial justice protestors. Critics argue that such blatant favoritism and lack of justice would further erode public confidence in the justice system.
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