KCK officer killed by fleeing truck ‘made this world brighter,’ loved one says at funeral
Amid the mourning, Sarah Latham reached back into her bank of memories of her friend and drew out a moment of joy.
She and Hunter Simoncic had been together to see a favorite artist in concert. They blared music in her car, hyped each other up for the show and sang at the top of their lungs. They laughed at themselves, got perfect photos and danced together.
“I think we both lost our voices that night from singing so loudly,” she said.
“He made this world brighter,” she said of Simoncic, the 26-year-old Kansas City, Kansas, police officer who died last week after he was allegedly struck by the driver of a stolen vehicle who was fleeing police.
Latham and other loved ones reflected on moments from throughout Simoncic’s life Wednesday at Children’s Mercy Park during his memorial service, hailing him as a loyal friend, as driven, energetic, adventurous, as a good police officer. Scores of officers from area law enforcement agencies lined the stadium, and a long memorial procession left the area after the service.
Simoncic was at the beginning of a career in law enforcement, having graduated from the police academy in 2023. He had designs on becoming a homicide detective and maybe one day joining the FBI.
“He kept the streets safe, he gave to the community and gave citizens the best possible service,” said Karl Oakman, chief of the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department. “He was so much more than the badge he wore. He volunteered his time to help kids, and in doing so, he risked humiliation and ridicule by exposing his own challenges to help others overcome theirs. Hunter was a good person.”
Latham recalled how Simoncic gushed about working as an extra in the Hallmark movie Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, which was filmed in the Kansas City area, and went on about the celebrities he met and the movie set he got to experience. He was always finding something out of the ordinary to experience and be part of, she said.
He expressed himself through painting and writing and did CrossFit, activities that helped to clear his mind and ready him for the work he did while wearing a badge, said friend Blake Fisher, a deputy with the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office.
“In a world that often forgets the weight of the uniform, Hunter carried it with grace,” he said. “He understood that being an officer wasn’t just about enforcing laws, it was about showing up for the ones in need, about listening when no one else would and remaining steadfast in the face of evil.”
Simoncic was killed Aug. 26 when authorities allege the driver of a stolen truck intentionally struck him while fleeing police. They said Simoncic was placing tire-deflating devices in the road and that after the driver ran over them, he veered toward Simoncic and struck him. Prosecutors filed a capital murder charge and a handful of other charges against the driver, Dennis Edward Mitchell III, 31.
Wednesday marked the second occasion in less than a month that mourners have filed into Children’s Mercy Park to remember the life of a slain law enforcement officer in Wyandotte County. Last month, loved ones paid tribute to Wyandotte County Sheriff’s deputy Elijah Ming, who was fatally shot while responding to a call in Kansas City, Kansas.
And like Ming, those close to Simoncic described him as a cherished figure and someone who was generous with his time and energy.
Steven Jennings, another friend of Simoncic’s, described him as a man who showed up for friends, for his community and for life with an energy that made those around him better.
“He left fingerprints of kindness, loyalty and service on every life that he touched,” he said. “His legacy is one that we get to carry forward.”
This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 3:56 PM.
