‘It’s never goodbye, it’s I’ll see you later’: Community mourns fallen KCK officer
Cicadas hummed as the sun set over the Kansas City, Kansas, Unified Government Municipal Building Tuesday, as a crowd of somber faces turned towards a Kansas City, Kansas Police Department vehicle.
And for the second time in one month, each tear-stained face held a small white candle, lit in the memory of a slain Wyandotte County law enforcement official.
Hundreds of community members and law enforcement officials gathered in Wyandotte County Thursday at a candlelight vigil held for fallen Kansas City, Kansas Police Department Officer Hunter Simoncic.
Simoncic, 26, was killed early Tuesday morning after he was allegedly intentionally struck by a stolen truck fleeing other Kansas City, Kansas, police officers while he was deploying stop sticks in the 7200 block of State Avenue.
He was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead just hours later.
‘I picked a community to serve that needed people to serve them’
Simoncic’s family and friends attended the candlelight vigil Thursday, where they remembered the Galesburg, Kansas, native as a driven, caring man with a desire to give back to the community.
Chief Karl Oakman began the vigil by explaining why Simoncic wanted to become a police officer.
“He said that, ‘I picked a community to serve that needed people to serve them,” Oakman said. “And this is a young man that at only 26, Hunter knew his purpose and gave his life for his service.”
Oakman recalled Simoncic as an academy recruit that never complained, even during the “worst times” of training.
Family friend Steven Jennings, who spoke on behalf of Simoncic’s family, told the crowd that “it didn’t have to be this way.”
“Somewhere along the line, someone acted without a conscious thought, without recognizing the humanity of one another, and that disregard has taken away one of the brightest souls I think I’ve ever known, I’ve ever met,” Jennings said.
Jennings described Simoncic as motivating, caring, loving, intelligent and honest.
“It breaks me to know that I won’t get to talk to him again in his life,” Jennings said. “But I know deep in my bones that he’s still near.”
Jennings finished his speech by telling the crowd that “connection matters more than anything.” He explained that a call, a text “a moment,” can leave “an everlasting mark on someone’s heart.”
Something Simoncic’s friend Dep. Blake Fisher, of the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Department, knew all too well.
‘It’s never goodbye, it’s I’ll see you later’
The day before Simoncic’s death, Fisher almost texted him to “check in.” A song had come on Fisher’s radio, one that Simoncic had introduced him to.
“But I let whatever was consuming my time in that moment to get the best of our friendship, a moment in time I will eternally regret,” Fisher said.
Fisher recounted a time in which he and Simoncic went to the Kansas City Zoo and got stuck on the African Sky Safari.
Fisher recollected seeing the ride, and attempting to “avoid it altogether.” However, he said, Simoncic knew Fisher was afraid of heights, and insisted the pair take the ride.
As the two neared the highest point, Fisher began to panic.
“All Hunter could do was laugh and say, ‘You act like we’re going to fall to our death, Blake. It’s fine, just enjoy the view.’”
The last time Fisher saw Simoncic, Simoncic hugged Fisher and told him goodbye.
“I distinctly remember telling him, ‘It’s never goodbye, it’s I’ll see you later, especially in our profession,’” Fisher said. “That was the last time I saw Hunter in person, the last thing I physically said to him.”
Fisher’s voice hitched as he recalled receiving the phone call that Simoncic had died.
“Hunter, I can’t express the pain it brings me to speak of you in the past tense,” Fisher said. “I will forever cherish your quirky smile, which brought so much joy to everyone around you. I’m sorry you’ve become another statistic in the line of duty deaths.”
‘It’s just got to stop’
In attendance were John and Chris Dermyer, who personally know what it’s like to lose a loved one in the line of duty.
The pair’s son, Virginia State Police Trooper Chad Dermyer, was shot and killed while speaking to a “suspicious person” inside a Greyhound bus terminal in Richmond, Virginia on March 31, 2016, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
John Dermyer, a Marine Corps veteran, couldn’t recall a day where he didn’t cry for at least a year after his son’s death.
“I can’t fathom what they went through, they are going through currently,” John Dermyer said. “Because I know what I went through, and I know what we went through.”
The Dermyer’s attend every vigil for law enforcement they can, John Dermyer said, because even though they “can’t do a whole lot” for the families, the pair knows they need support.
They attended the candlelight vigil held less than one month earlier for Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Dep. Elijah Ming, who was shot and killed July 27 while responding to a call for service in Kansas City, Kansas’, Argentine neighborhood.
“To me, it’s just got to stop,” John Dermyer said. “I mean, these guys are out here, they’re servants to the public. And most of them have that attitude when they do the job, and they come out here to help.”
Marcos Moreno stood amongst the crowd holding a sign reading, “Hunter Simoncic. My brother, my best friend, my family. Te amo hermano.”
Moreno knew Simoncic through Big Brothers Big Sisters. He had seen Simoncic just one day before his death.
Simoncic was supposed to take Moreno to school Tuesday morning.
“He was a good man. It wasn’t supposed to happen.”
A memorial fund established to support Simoncic’s family can be found at any Public Safety Credit Union location. Donations can be made to KCK FOP Memorial Fund, c/o Simoncic Family.
A funeral will be held for Simoncic at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, at Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kansas, police spokesperson Nancy Chartrand said in a press release. Parking lots will open at 7 a.m. and stadium gates will open at 8 a.m. A law enforcement processional will occur after the service.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 6:40 AM.
