JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. — Court documents obtained Wednesday by KSHB 41 News reveal the suspect accused of killing Kansas City, Kansas, Police Ofc. Hunter Simoncic had recklessly fled from police before.
KSHB 41's Alyssa Jackson reported on Dennis Mitchell III's criminal history following his arrest on Tuesday.
According to a probable cause statement released Wednesday by the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Dennis Mitchell III, 31, was involved in a pursuit in March 2020.
In March 2020, Kansas City, Missouri, police officers were searching for a homicide suspect in the area of Independence Ave. and Elmwood Ave. after receiving a tip.
Mitchell, driving a black Honda Civic, fit the description of a driver who was possibly related to the investigation.
When officers tried to pull him over, Mitchell refused to stop and began driving at a high rate of speed, going the wrong way on a one-way street.
Court documents state his speed exceeded 80 mph as he failed to stop for a red light and traffic.
When Mitchell reached Interstate 70, he accelerated to 100 mph in an effort to evade police, weaving in and out of traffic.
He crossed the state line into Kansas where the pursuit continued.
Mitchell started driving the wrong way — heading southbound in the northbound lanes of traffic on U.S. 69 Highway.
Officers followed him from the southbound lanes until Mitchell collided head-on with another vehicle.
Victims in the other vehicle had minor injuries.
Mitchell and two other passengers got out at the scene of the crash and ran from the vehicle into the woods.
A Kansas City, Kansas, Officer (K-9 unit) was called to the scene to locate Mitchell.
He was found hiding in a lawn-care vehicle near the crash scene but refused to comply with officers' commands until he was bitten by the K-9.
While officers determined Mitchell was not the suspect in the homicide investigation, he was still taken into custody.
Mitchell told law enforcement the vehicle belonged to him and claimed he fled from officers because his Missouri license was suspended, he had no plates on the vehicle, and he was worried about going to jail.
He stated his girlfriend was the passenger, but denied knowing the identity of the male in the back seat.
Mitchell was charged by Jackson County prosecutors with felony resisting arrest/detention/stop by fleeing - creating a substantial risk of serious injury/death to any person.
The prosecutor's office sent KSHB 41 a statement:
"Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of Officer Hunter Simoncic during this difficult time.
In 2020, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office charged Dennis Mitchell with Resisting Arrest/Detention/Stop by Fleeing – Creating a Substantial Risk of Serious Injury or Death to Any Person, which was a Class E felony at the time, before Valentine’s Law went into effect last year.
Like most criminal cases in Jackson County, this case was resolved through a plea agreement.
At the time, Mr. Mitchell had pending cases in multiple jurisdictions. I
n these situations, prosecutors often work together across state and county lines to coordinate case outcomes. Based on our review of available records, it appears prosecutors from multiple jurisdictions collaborated on a resolution.
As a result, Mr. Mitchell served 13 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections, followed by 12 months of post-release supervision, to be served concurrently with the 6-day sentence in Jackson County."
Valentine's Law, referenced by the prosecutor's office, makes fleeing from police in a dangerous way a class D felony with steeper penalties if someone is injured. The law is named after an officer in St. Louis who lost his life during a high-speed chase.
The law took effect in 2024.
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