After hot pursuit, an innocent bystander is dead. KCK police must weigh public safety | Opinion

Is pursuing a stolen vehicle, even one suspected of being used in connection with an armed robbery, worth a life? Virtually never.

Someone — us, the Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County community, or local elected leaders — needs to remind officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department of this.

Early Sunday, one person was killed and two others were injured when a white GMC Terrain crashed into a Nissan Altima at Independence and Hardesty avenues in Kansas City. The SUV was allegedly taken in connection with an armed robbery, police officials on both sides of the state line said.

As of early afternoon Monday, the victim’s identity was unknown. Charges against the suspected armed robber were pending, local law enforcement officials told us that afternoon.

The investigation is in the preliminary stages. It’s too early to determine whether Kansas City, Kansas, police officers did anything wrong.

Yes, under the current policy, KCK officers can initiate a pursuit involving violent felonies, a sound strategy if officers use the proper discretion to preserve a life. To prevent another senseless tragedy that could cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands if not millions in litigation and settlement costs, the policy may need to be reworked.

Police pursuing a stolen truck across state lines, even one used in a criminal act, could put all of us at risk, criminologists say. We unequivocally agree. No one was reportedly killed or injured in the initial incident that started the chase.

Besides, less-risky choices exist. In Independence for example, officers are encouraged to consider alternatives to pursuits. Requesting assistance from the KCPD helicopter unit is an option, as is deploying a GPS tracking device on a stolen vehicle.

The pursuit originated in Kansas City, Kansas, and ended on the Missouri side of the state line just after 2 a.m., according to police. The driver of the stolen GMC, traveling at a high speed, failed to stop at a red light at the intersection of Independence and Hardesty, police said. The vehicle slammed into the Nissan traveling northbound on Hardesty, killing its front seat passenger and sending the driver to a hospital with potentially fatal injuries, according to police officials.

The life of the suspected car thief and robber was spared. He was taken into custody and transported to a hospital with serious injuries, according to the Kansas City Police Department, the agency investigating the deadly pursuit. Charges against the suspect had not been announced as of this writing.

The white SUV was taken during an aggravated armed robbery in the 400 block of North 18th Street, Kansas City, Kansas, police officials said.

The hazards that high-speed pursuits pose to Kansas City neighborhoods were made abundently clear on New Year’s Eve. That’s when Dustin J. Muncy of Independence allegedly led law enforcement on a chase through residential streets at speeds in excess of 80 mph, sometimes in the opposite direction of traffic, The Star reported. Muncy eventually backed into a police cruiser before crashing the vehicle he was driving, court documents indicate.

Police say the car he was driving was stolen, and that a small amount of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm were found inside. Muncy allegedly told officers he thought if he drove “crazy,” they would give up the chase. Everyone in his path is lucky that his recklessness didn’t result in any serious injuries — much less a fatality.

Let’s be clear: The onus for endangering uninvolved bystanders lies squarely on the person who flees. But law enforcement always needs to weigh the possible risks against the severity of the alleged infraction before deciding to give chase.

If the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department policy for hot pursuit needs to be adjusted, it should be done with public safety uppermost in mind. If more training about alternatives to capturing suspects safely is needed, then that should be undertaken immediately.

But apprehending an alleged perpetrator, especially in a case that began with no death, should never come at the expense of an innocent person’s life.

This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 1:33 PM.