LIBERTY, Mo. — A jury began deliberations late Tuesday morning on whether Joshua Rocha, the man convicted of killing North Kansas City Police Ofc. Daniel Vasquez, should be sentenced to death.
Rocha admitted to killing Vasquez during a traffic stop in 2022.
Earlier this month, jurors — made up of a group of citizens from St. Charles County, Missouri — found Rocha guilty of first-degree murder.
Jurors were then tasked to review whether Rocha would serve the rest of his life in prison or face the death penalty.
Clay County prosecutors and attorneys representing Rocha spent the last several days arguing over the sentencing in a Liberty, Missouri, courtroom.
VIDEO | Watch Monday's recap from KSHB 41 reporter Lily O'Shea Becker
Jurors started their sentencing deliberations just before noon on Tuesday.
The state challenged the defense’s argument that autism and trauma explained Rocha’s actions, saying instead that “the violent nature is his nature.”
One prosecutor described Rocha’s actions as “outrageous and wantonly vile, horrible, and inhuman.”
They also argued Rocha “knew what he was doing.”
In two powerful moments, prosecutors showed the murder weapon while displaying photos of Vasquez, pulling back the weapon’s extractor to echo a metallic sound through the courtroom.
They also presented the vest Vasquez was wearing when he was killed.
“Why is this vest empty?” the prosecutor asked. “It’s empty because of a choice Joshua Rocha made.”
That moment led the Vasquez family to leave the courtroom — their wails could be heard from inside.
The state also showed videos of Rocha firing guns out of car windows.
The defense centered its case on Rocha’s trauma and difficult past, once again sharing childhood stories, including a fifth-grade parent-teacher conference report describing a troubled child.
“Should there be mercy in this case?” the defense attorney asked.
Family members from both sides were present in court.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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