Family, community honor fallen Officer Daniel Vasquez four years later

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Four years after North Kansas City Police Officer Daniel Vasquez was killed in the line of duty, his family says the grief has not faded.

His sister, Areli Vasquez Nunez, is speaking out for the first time since Joshua Rocha was sentenced to death for the killing.

"Nothing really comes out of it, no one feels relief. No one feels like, 'Finally, justice was done.' There is nothing that's going to change what happened or how we've lived our lives ever since," Vasquez Nunez said.

The pain, she said, is constant — even when it hides.

"One day you're OK and the next you remember something or you see something that reminds you of them, and it all comes back," Vasquez Nunez said.

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"I don't ever think any loss gets better with time," she said.

Clay County Sheriff Will Akin noted at the time of the shooting that traffic stops carry unique danger for officers.

"Traffic stops — any kind of vehicle stop — are the No. 1 most dangerous situations a police officer can be in," Akin said.

For Vasquez Nunez, the years since her brother's death have been filled with unanswered questions.

"You kind of question everything. You question why him, of all people, why that day, why that incident," she said.

Vasquez family

Through the pain, she is still able to feel empathy.

"I really do feel bad for him because he was a young man and destroyed his life in seconds. And his family, I'm sure, are having a difficult time with that as well," Vasquez Nunez said.

What she misses most is the connection she had with her brother.

"I miss him coming in and being like, 'Big sister,' and just the kindness that he had," Vasquez Nunez shared.

"It's almost everything of him, but mostly it's the banter, the connection that we had as a brother and sister. We are very close," she added.

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The grief extends beyond the family. Brooks Narvaez, a firefighter with the North Kansas City Fire Department, responded to the call the day Vasquez was shot.

"It hits pretty hard. You never think something can affect you like that, and still affect you, and never leave you," Narvaez said.

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He said the experience changed how he thinks about the job.

"You don't think about the consequences of the job ever until something like that happens. And then it's all very, very real," Narvaez said.

"We were there when he passed. We saw everything that happened. It was rough on a lot of people. We didn't want him to be forgotten," he added.

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That desire to remember is one of the elements that drives the annual MachoMan 5K Ruck held in Vasquez's honor. Family, friends and first responders gather each year to walk together and keep his memory alive.

"It feels like there's a responsibility," Narvaez said. "I think the ruck is a really good way to remind everyone that there are people who put it on the line and lose everything for their community."

Vasquez Nunez said the event carries meaning beyond her brother alone.

"It's not just about Danny. It's about all first responders. It's about everyone who made the ultimate sacrifice or who wakes up every day and goes into our communities to take care of us," she said.

Participants will meet at 8 a.m. Sunday at 520 E. 19th Ave. The route covers 3.1 miles through North Kansas City, starting in the lot across from North Kansas City Fire Department Station No. 1.

Organizers say participants may wear a weighted vest or sandbags. A free pancake breakfast will follow the event.

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.

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