Sophia Yeskulsky | Sports Editor
7 March, 2024
Last Friday (3/1/24), Missouri Governor Mike Parson shortened the prison sentence of former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid for a drunk driving crash in 2021 that seriously injured a 5-year-old girl.
Reid is the son of Andy Reid, the 4-time Superbowl Champion with over 25 years of NFL coaching experience. Britt served as an assistant coach for the Kansas City Chiefs until he was released due to his DWI. Due to Reid’s connection to his dad, his DWI case has turned into a public affair, but it has also helped lighten his sentence in jail.
On Feb. 4, 2021, around 9 p.m. on Interstate 435, a vehicle ran out of gas and called for help on the entrance ramp to the highway. Another vehicle was parked nearby to assist them. At the same time, Reid’s pickup truck was going 84 miles per hour at 65-mph. Reid had just come from the Chief’s team facility where he had multiple drinks. With a blood alcohol level of 0.113, his pickup truck struck the left front of the first car before hitting the rear of the second car.
A mother and her two children were in the car that Reid hit. Ariel Young, who was 5 years old at the time, suffered injuries that included a traumatic brain injury. The court documents stated that she had a “severe traumatic brain injury, a parietal fracture, brain contusion, and subdural hematomas.” She was in a coma for almost two weeks. She had to relearn how to walk and will have difficulties for the rest of her life.
Reid pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and was sentenced in November 2022 to three years in prison. Prosecutors had sought four years, and the maximum allowed under the law was seven years.
This wasn’t Reid’s first offense. Previously in 2007, he pleaded guilty to simple assault and flashing a gun at another driver in a road rage incident. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of a controlled substance from a separate incident. He served time in jail for both of these.
The victims had spoken out against the plea deal at the time and had hoped Reid would receive the maximum sentence for his crime. Ariel’s mother, Felicia Miller, said in a statement read at his sentencing hearing that he should never have been offered a plea deal and the victims are “offended” he asked for probation.
Reid’s crime compared to his sentence was thought to be incredibly disproportionate and unjust by most, however, last Friday (3/1), Missouri Gov. Michael Parson commuted the sentence of Britt Reid. Parson shortened Reid’s sentence and converted the remainder of Reid’s three-year prison sentence to house arrest. Reid’s house arrest will continue until Oct. 31, 2025, with requirements for weekly meetings with a parole officer and attendance at behavioral counseling.
The family attorney of Ariel and her mother, Tom Porto said, “If you drink and drive and you put a little girl in a coma… you should have to serve the entire sentence that a judge of this state gave you,” he added.
However, what most people don’t realize is that this isn’t your typically commuted sentence. Governor Parson is a long-time Chiefs fan and season ticket holder. He was present at Superbowl 57 and celebrated with the Chiefs after their win on the field and at their parade. He has been seen among the team at practices as well.
After the public became outraged at Parson’s clear bias, he tried to deny the accusations by saying, “Mr. Reid has completed his alcohol abuse treatment program and has served more prison time than most individuals convicted of similar offenses.”
If his clear connection and bias to Reid and the Chiefs isn’t clear enough, Parson got a tattoo to show his love for the Chiefs. Parson said, “Last week at Chiefs training camp, I had the opportunity to huddle with our Super Bowl 57 champions and show off my new ink… as a lifelong Chiefs fan, serving as the 57th Governor when the Chiefs won the 57th Super Bowl.”
San Clemente freshman Naomi Seldow felt it was “really disappointing to see a politician show such corruption. ” Junior Izzy McCann agreed and commented, “I am shocked that Reid was only sentenced to jail for 3 years!”
Governor Parson’s commutation of Reid left many Americans with the question, “If Reid was any other regular person and committed the same crime, would his sentence have been commuted?”
I think we all know the answer.
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