Overland Park officer, suspect killed in shootout following altercation, police say
Update: Overland Park police identified the officer killed in a shootout with a suspect Sunday as Overland Park Police Officer Mike Mosher, a 14-year veteran of the force.
A police officer and a suspect were killed in a shootout Sunday afternoon in Overland Park, the first time an officer was slain in the city in more than three decades, according to police.
Officers responded to a call of shots fired about 5:53 p.m. in the area of West 123rd and Mackey streets, where the officer and the suspect exchanged gunfire, according to Officer John Lacy, a police department spokesman.
Prior to the shootout, the officer radioed to dispatch about a hit-and-run crash at West 143rd Street and Antioch Road. The officer, who has not been identified, followed the suspect north on Antioch Road before the suspect stopped near West 123rd Street.
The officer approached the suspect’s vehicle and an altercation occurred. The suspect and the officer exchanged gunfire, Lacy said.
The suspect, who has not been identified, died at the scene.
Police were later told the officer had also died.
It was the first time an officer had been killed in Overland Park since January 1985, when Officer Deanna Rose was slain, Lacy said.
“We’re not used to this,” he told reporters. “So we’re going to ask the city, state, country for your prayers.”
The officer had been with the department for more than 12 years, Lacy said. He left behind a wife and young daughter.
Lacy described the officer as a dedicated father and a “true gentleman.”
“He was a good one we lost,” he said. “A real good one.”
Condolences poured in.
The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department on Twitter said it was “saddened beyond words” by the news.
“Sometimes there just aren’t the right words to express feelings in the wake of tragedy,” the Clay County Sheriff’s Office posted. “We hurt with you, (Overland Park Police Department).”
This story was originally published May 3, 2020 at 7:24 PM.
