KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department lost an officer Tuesday, exactly one month after Wyandotte County lost Deputy Elijah Ming.
Ofc. Hunter Simoncic was killed after deploying stop sticks during a pursuit.
Dennis Mitchell III is accused of hitting and killing Simoncic with his vehicle.
Mitchell has pending charges for first-degree murder, vehicular homicide, fleeing or attempting to elude police, theft, criminal possession of a firearm and aggravated failure to appear.
Tuesday was not his first run-in with the law.
Mitchell was convicted three years ago of trying to flee from a police stop.
In Jackson County, Missouri, Mitchell was found guilty in 2022 of felony resisting arrest/detention/stop by fleeing, creating a substantial risk of serious injury/death to any person, for attempting to evade a law enforcement stop.
KSHB 41's Alyssa Jackson requested case files from the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office to learn more.
Mitchell's most recent case is in Wyandotte County Court.
Before he was taken into custody Tuesday morning, Mitchell had a warrant out for his arrest.
Mitchell failed to appear for his last three court hearings in Wyandotte County for opioid possession, marijuana possession and intent to use drug paraphernalia — a Level 5 felony and two misdemeanors.
In 2013, Mitchell was convicted of felony opioid possession in Johnson County, Kansas.
He was sentenced to 15 months in jail and 12 months of probation.
KCKPD has lost 3 officers to vehicular assault
There have been 20 line-of-duty deaths for the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.
The Officer Down Memorial Page reports 13 deaths involved gunfire and three deaths, including Simoncic, involved vehicular assault.
It's been 27 years since the department lost an officer to vehicular assault.
Simoncic served for nearly two years before his death. He was 26 years old.
Sgt. Richard James Asten served KCKPD for 14 years.
In 1998, he was killed after being struck by a stolen vehicle.
Former KSHB 41 Anchor Dia Wall interviewed his widow in 2016.
Just like Simoncic, Asten was attempting to deploy stop sticks in the street when the driver of a Chevrolet Blazer intentionally hit him.
The driver was arrested at the scene, convicted of murder and sentenced to 38 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
Asten was 46 years old.
Ofc. Jeffrey Young was struck by the driver of a stolen vehicle in November 1988.
The driver ran over him while trying to flee police at a roadblock.
KSHB 41 interviewed his family in 2016.
Young was in a coma for nine months until he passed away. The driver of the vehicle was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
He served KCKPD for eight years and was 29 years old when he died.
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KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers portions of Johnson County, including Overland Park, Prairie Village and Leawood. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
