photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Lawrence police officer Myrone Grady appears at a hearing on May 23, 2025, in Shawnee County District Court.

A hearing for a Lawrence police officer accused of misdemeanor battery in Shawnee County was delayed on Friday due to a busy court schedule.

The officer, Myrone Grady, 51, is charged with one misdemeanor count of battery in connection with an incident on Jan. 27 at Shawnee Heights High School, where he was attending his son’s basketball game, as the Journal-World reported.

Grady is alleged to have struck a man during an argument.

Grady was scheduled for a motions hearing on Friday, when his attorney, Shaye Downing, would have argued for the charge to be dismissed.

However, the hearing was rescheduled after Magistrate Judge Christopher Turner realized the court’s calendar was too full to accommodate the length of hearing that was required.

Deputy District Attorney Megan Weddle said the evidence that the hearing would require would include testimony from four witnesses and a video.

Turner then rescheduled the hearing for Aug. 18.

The brief hearing was attended by nearly two dozen people in support of Grady. Turner said the court would find a larger courtroom for the next hearing to accommodate the crowd.

photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

left to right, Judge Magistrate Christopher Turner, Deputy District Attorney Megan Weddle, Attorney Shaye Downing, and Lawrence police officer Myrone Grady appears at a hearing on May 23, 2025, in Shawnee County District Court.