KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Derron Black, 31, the man who rushed the stage and yelled obscenities during Kansas City Mayor Sly James’ State of the City address, said he plans on running for mayor.
Shortly after noon on Wednesday Black was charged with Assault 3rd Degree on a law enforcement officer, a Class A misdemeanor, and Obstructing Government Operations, a Class B misdemeanor, for his actions during the mayor’s speech. In the probable cause statement, prosecutors say Black scratched and bruised a law enforcement officer during the struggle to get him off stage.
Black has since apologized for his outburst that left many in Kansas City stunned. In an audio recording posted to YouTube on March 19, Black apologized for his actions and said he “challenges” the mayor.
Black’s campaign manager, Jeff Francis, told FOX 4 News on Wednesday morning that Black would announce his candidacy for mayor at 2 p.m. on Wednesday shortly after he is released from jail. However, Black later changed his mind and cancelled the public announcement that was to occur outside police headquarters.
Francis said Black’s outburst on Tuesday was spontaneous.
“That was out of character for how we proceed,” Francis said. “But he (Black) felt like that was the only opportunity to address the issue because meetings have been planned, have been made and nobody showed up at our meetings. They leave us standing and they don’t realize what we go through to get to these meetings.”
Below is the verbatim from Black’s apology on YouTube.
This is Derron Black. I’m here on 11th and Locust, downtown Kansas City at police headquarters. It is the 19th day of March, 6 p.m., and I’m just reflecting on all today’s events and I would just to apologize to all my fellow Kansas Citians for being disrespectful and disruptive today.
But also would like to challenge Sly James because he just seems to be definitely disillusioned with the condition of our city right now. If you have listened to the State of the City, and if you have any consciousness about the true reality of the condition of the people east of Troost or just throughout Kansas City in general, you would absolutely be frustrated just like I am. But it’s okay. Everything — everything is from the Lord above, and I would like to tell everybody that will see you tomorrow 1300 hours when I’m finally released, Lord willing. Thank you.”
The man who posted Black’s apology on YouTube, MD Rabbi Alam, an Internet-radio talk show host for “Alpha Media KC,” also posted an interview with Jeff Qintar who witnessed Black’s outburst on Tuesday. Listen to that interview here.
