KCPD officer, pedestrian and police dog killed in car crash in Kansas City Wednesday

Update: Kansas City police on Thursday released more information about the officer killed in the crash. That story is posted here.

A Kansas City police officer and a pedestrian were killed Wednesday night in a car crash near Truman Road and Benton Boulevard, according to the Kansas City Police Department.

The crash occurred about 10:15 p.m. when the officer and his canine partner were on patrol. The officer’s patrol car was hit by another vehicle, causing a secondary impact with the pedestrian, according to Sgt. Jake Becchina, a police department spokesman.

The pedestrian was declared dead at the scene. The officer was taken to a hospital where he died.

The police dog was also killed in the crash.

In a message posted to Twitter, Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city is grieving for the officer, the pedestrian and the police dog.

“This morning, our city mourns the loss of life of a twenty-year veteran of the Kansas City Police Department, along with an innocent civilian and a canine officer,” Lucas wrote. “My prayers are with the families and friends of those we have lost and all of the women and men of law enforcement.”

The driver of the vehicle that hit the police car was injured and was in police custody pending investigation.

The police department did not release the officer’s name Wednesday night but said he was a 20-year veteran of the KCPD and had been assigned to the Canine Unit for nearly 3 years. His canine partner had been on the force for about one year.

“Please keep the officer’s family, the pedestrian’s family and the whole Kansas CIty Missouri Police Department in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with this terrible tragedy,” Becchina said in an emailed statement Wednesday night.

This story was originally published February 16, 2023 at 6:20 AM.