After a bystander was killed in NYE police chase, Independence weighs policy change
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- City plans phased overhaul of pursuit and foot-pursuit policies over 18 months
- Audit found repeated high-speed chases from minor violations, speeds to 130 mph
- Department recorded 330 chases in 2022 and faces scrutiny after a fatal crash
Independence city officials have said they are considering changes to their law enforcement vehicle pursuit policy after years of deadly crashes and questions about how police choose to chase at high speeds.
City officials announced in a release Thursday that Interim Police Chief Douglas Brinkley is implementing a phased plan to overhaul the department’s vehicle and foot pursuit policies, citing findings from a risk assessment conducted over the summer by the Legal and Liability Risk Management Institute.
The plan ranges from 90 days to 18 months for full implementation.
“When you look at that audit, that was an eye-opener,” said Jason White, former Independence City Council member, who has spoken out since a recent crash on New Year’s Eve resulted in the death of a Kansas City man.
Officials said the department will review both policies and training to “further balance enforcement needs with public and officer safety.” Independence Police did not respond to requests for comment or to interview requests with Brinkley.
A lingering problem
For years, the Independence Police Department has defended its pursuit policy, saying it was “good” and didn’t require change, even after a 2024 investigation by The Star found Independence led the metro in high-speed pursuits.
The department conducted 330 chases in 2022 alone. Kansas City, which has four times the population, conducted 98 in 2022.
More than 1,200 police chases took place in the Kansas City metro, resulting in over 150 crashes and 51 injuries in 2022. Independence accounted for 33% of those injuries.
“Several of the pursuits we reviewed were initiated as the result of ‘minor’ traffic violations yet continued for several minutes, with some ultimately reaching maximum speeds over 100 mph,” the assessment reads. “Some of the speeds reached in these residential areas appeared, at least according to the video, to not be in the best interest of public safety.”
The LLRMI risk assessment examined 10 random chases over 11 days in 2025, revealing pursuits that began over minor traffic violations yet reached speeds as high as 130 mph in residential areas. Two ended in crashes.
Those 10 chases include the following violations and speeds reached:
- License plate light inoperable - speed 112 mph.
- Improper turn - speed undetermined.
- Temporary registration tag violation - speed 117 mph.
- Stole car (16-year-old driver) - speed 97 mph.
- Speeding violation - Officer drove 88 mph in a 35-mph zone with no lights or siren activated.
- No registration (16-year-old driver) - speed 120 mph.
- Taillight out - speed 90 mph in a 30-mph zone.
- Equipment violation - speed 96 mph.
- No registration tag - speed 125 mph.
- Squealing tires - speed 130 mph.
“We have to do the work,” Brinkley said in a release. “This is a thoughtful process based on the recommendations from LLRMI, nationwide best practices, and my own previous experience. Some of these changes are as simple as a policy update. But much of this is complicated. Changes to long-held systems do not happen in a matter of days.”
New Year’s Eve crash
The changes come following the death of Daniel Sanchez, 47, who was killed when a fleeing vehicle pursued by Independence officers into Kansas City collided with his car on Dec. 31. Two passengers in Sanchez’s vehicle were hospitalized with critical injuries. The driver remains at large.
Police said officers were pursuing a gray Ford F-250 for multiple traffic violations around 8:15 p.m. on Dec. 31. The driver failed to stop at a red light, struck a blue pickup, and collided with Sanchez’s car. The driver then crashed into a parked recreational vehicle and fled on foot.
Officers later determined the truck was stolen, though it remains unclear what violations prompted the initial stop. Police have yet to disclose what led to the pursuit other than saying it was for multiple traffic violations.
