Street renamed in honor of Kansas City, Kansas, police officer killed in the line of duty one year ago

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.

—

Campus Boulevard on Kansas City Kansas Community College's main campus has been renamed Officer Hunter Simoncic Boulevard, exactly one year after the Kansas City, Kansas police officer was killed in the line of duty.

KCKPD

The street sign sits yards from where a suspect struck Simoncic on State Avenue.

The site is now decorated with blue flowers.

Simoncic's family sprinked holy water on the flowers as a part of their Catholic tradition.

Jake Weller/KSHB 41

During Wednesday's dedication ceremony, Simoncic's family donated to the Lead to Read program, which Hunter had participated in by reading to elementary school students.

The family had just received this check from the Johnson County Sheriff's Office.

Jake Weller/KSHB 41

Hunter was recruited into the program while working off-duty at Walmart and read to students at Banneker Elementary on Wednesday's.

Lead to Read operates in 33 schools across the metro.

"We would like to give the Lead to Read program this check in honor of Hunter," Simoncic's mother, Christine Brungardt, said during Wednesday’s dedication.

Radell Oakman, the Lead to Read site coordinator at Banneker and wife of KCK Police Chief Karl Oakman, remembered Hunter's dedication to others.

Jake Weller/KSHB 41

"He was always concerned about others," Oakman said. "The students all miss him, the mentors all miss him.”

Radell Oakman said Hunter's involvement extended beyond his own participation in the program.

"He was not just an officer who was out serving and protecting, but he also showed a lot of the other officers that they also should give back to the community," Oakman said.

She reflected on the lasting impact of officers building relationships with young people through programs like Lead to Read.

"That is our mission as husband and wife that if we get to know the children young, the officers get to know them, that is going to have an impact that is going to last them for life, and the relationship that they have with the police will be such a strong one," Oakman said.

Radell Oakman said Hunter's memory will endure, especially through his family.

She shared that they've supported the Lead to Read program in the past.

"Once I met them, it allowed me, and everyone around to see why Hunter was the special young man that he is,” she said.

Chief Karl Oakman spoke to the character of the Simoncic family and the kind of officer Hunter was.

"They're always concerned about everyone else but themselves,” Oakman said. “We can see that because that's how Hunter was.”

He was one of several speakers Wednesday, including Mayor Christal Watson and Senator Roger Marshall.

"Even with all of this happening, if you ask Hunter, would he do it again, he would say absolutely," Oakman said.

Tiara Ming, the wife of Wyandotte County Sheriff's Deputy Elijah Ming, also attended Wednesday's dedication ceremony.

Jake Weller/KSHB 41

Elijah Ming died in the line of duty exactly one month before Hunter Simoncic.

"Unfortunately, their deaths brought us together," Ming said.

Ming described the bond that has formed between the two families as they navigate their shared grief, including the stress of ongoing court proceedings.

KSHB 41

"We've kind of talked with one another about that and just like kind of how we're coping with everything because everything still feels fresh,” Ming said. "We're still just trying to figure it out, and I think we need each other to figure it out together.”

Ming said she hopes the connection between the two families will show her son the strength of community support.

"That's also important for me because I can show my son that,” Ming said. “Like you have a community, not just your family, you have a community behind you as well that's here to support you and you growing up, they're going to be here.”

Ming also reflected on how the losses opened her eyes to the frequency of line-of-duty deaths.

"I don't think I realized how many line-of-duty deaths there were until it happened to my husband, and then a month later it happening to Hunter," Ming said.

Tiara's mother, Vicky Lynch, said the timing of the two deaths deepened the connection between the families.

"Which made her probably connect to Hunter's mom even more,” Lynch said. “It was that exact month, and it was kind of weird.”

One thing Wednesday solidified for certain was that they’re not traveling this road alone.

“Everyone cares about Hunter, and it means that he will never be forgotten," Radell Oakman said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

—