Final salute: KCK community remembers Officer Simoncic, killed in line of duty
Hundreds are expected to gather Wednesday morning at Children’s Mercy Park to honor fallen Kansas City, Kansas, police officer Hunter Simoncic, who was struck and killed by a man driving a stolen truck during a police chase.
The memorial service for the 26-year-old Simoncic is set for 10 a.m., but parking lots and gates at Children’s Mercy Park, 1 Sporting Way in Kansas City, Kansas, opened earlier to accommodate mourners. Those headed to the service are asked to approach the stadium from State Avenue. Parking is available on the south side of the stadium in Blue Lot 2, located on the grounds of the Kansas Speedway. Village West Parkway and France Family Drive are closed to public traffic. In just a matter of weeks, Children’s Mercy Park has again been transformed from a professional soccer stadium into a place of remembrance for a fallen officer.
On Aug. 11, more than 100 uniformed law enforcement officers and personnel, many with commemorative black stripes across their badges or blue ribbons, honored Wyandotte County Sheriff deputy Elijah Ming who was killed in the line of duty.
Ming was responding to a domestic violence call to help a woman who was moving out of a home in the Argentine neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas, and was afraid for her safety.
A man, later identified as Shawn Harris , 38, allegedly confronted Ming and opened fire, striking him. Harris has been charged with capital murder and criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Ming’s death.
Simoncic lost his life 30 days to the day after Ming was killed.
Simoncic was killed in the early morning of Aug. 26, when, just after midnight, a suspect fleeing from Kansas City, Kansas, police allegedly intentionally struck him with a stolen vehicle. Simoncic was assisting in the pursuit by deploying stop sticks, police said.
Paramedics took Simoncic to an area hospital where he later died from his injuries.
In the days since his death, Simoncic’s colleagues and friends have shared stories about his quick wit and selfless nature, which ultimately led him to a career in law enforcement.
The young officer from the small town of Galesburg, Kansas, earned a bachelor’s degree from Pittsburg State University and a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University. He was a supervisor at the Southeast Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center before entering the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department’s police academy, where he graduated in November 2023.
His service to the community went beyond his police work. During the school year, Simoncic participated in the Lead to Read KC reading program, where mentors are paired with elementary school students to encourage and develop literacy skills.
After the memorial service a funeral procession will go from the stadium to downtown Kansas City, Kansas, passing police headquarters, city hall and the Wyandotte County Courthouse, before heading back west along Interstate 70 to Interstate 435, where the public participation in the procession will end.
Simoncic will be laid to rest in a private service in Parsons, Kansas, near his hometown of Galesburg.
