Will KCPD name officers involved in deadly pursuit on I-435? Public has right to know | Opinion

In the coming days, we hope to learn more details about the circumstances of a police pursuit in Kansas City that ended with the death of two motorists.

By Wednesday morning, little was known about the two people that were killed in an early morning head-on collision on northbound Interstate 435 at Missouri 210. We should learn the name of the victims later in the week, Kansas City Police Department spokeswoman Alayna Gonzalez told us.

What about the officers involved? We asked department officials the names of and how many officers participated in the deadly chase but this information was not provided. The number was unknown Tuesday, according to Gonzalez.

We also wanted to know if Police Chief Stacey Graves would make a public statement. KCPD announced she would hold a press conference Wednesday, but not specifically about the chase.

The public has the right to know the officers involved. Based on the limited info given to us Tuesday, we shouldn’t hold our breath on learning their identities.

Kansas Citians deserve a very public accounting of how the chase proceeded and its conclusion. In all likelihood, the deadly pursuit ended with the death of an innocent motorist as well as an alleged armed robber.

In most cases involving a deadly chase or a fatal police shooting here, the Kansas City Police Department usually closes rank. We’re not accusing any officer of wrongdoing in this case — it’s simply too early to conclude that. But radio silence should no longer be the norm with policing in this city.

When police initiate a pursuit that ends in a wreck, a tight-lipped approach is not conducive to repairing or establishing trust with the community. Remember, Graves has stated transparency is a goal for the department.

It’s also fair to question if officers chasing after an armed robbery suspect driving a black Dodge Challenger followed the department’s policy for pursuits.

Was there ‘clear and immediate danger’?

The policy states: an officer is “restricted by policy from initiating a vehicle pursuit for a serious traffic violation, DUI or stolen auto unless the suspect vehicle or occupant(s) has been involved in a dangerous felony or where the suspect vehicle or its occupant(s) presents a clear and immediate danger to the safety of others.”

At least for now, police appear to have followed protocol but important details remain murky at best.

Yes, investigations of these sorts take time. All involved are afforded due process. But that shouldn’t preclude Graves from telling the public who the officers involved were, their years of service and rank.

It’s not uncommon for law enforcement officials elsewhere to routinely name officers involved in police pursuits or violent confrontations with criminal suspects. Baltimore, Los Angeles and Philadelphia are some examples. Here, that is not often the case, and it must change in the new year.

The pursuit in question ended about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday when officers responded to the scene of a fatal car wreck on northbound I-435 at Missouri 210, according to police.

The driver of a black Dodge Challenger drove the wrong way on the interstate, according to police. He was suspected of committing a string of armed robberies early Tuesday in the Northland. The fleeing driver crashed head-on into a Chevrolet Equinox crossover SUV, police said.

Both motorists were pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Officers pursued the Challenger until the driver drove the wrong way on the interstate, police said. Per department policy, officers can’t pursue a vehicle against the flow of traffic on a divided highway unless approved by a higher-ups, and the driver of the vehicle being pursued is fleeing to avoid a felony arrest.

Timeline of 3 alleged robberies, crash

“Police terminated the pursuit when the driver decided to drive into oncoming lanes of traffic,” Gonzalez told The Star earlier in the day. “The pursuit was terminated prior to an accident occurring.”

An investigation will determine whether that is true.

The first armed robbery occurred around 2:30 a.m. at the Phillips 66 Minit Mart at 9901 NE Barry Road in Kansas City, North, police said.

About an hour later, a victim at the Shell gas station at 5401 NW 64th Street in Kansas City, North, was robbed at gunpoint by a man, according to police.

The third armed robbery occurred shortly after 4:10 a.m. at the Pilot Travel Center at 8801 NE Birmingham Road in Kansas City, North.

Police quickly identified and located the Dodge Challenger allegedly used in each of the robberies and a pursuit ensued, police said. From there, the driver headed south in the northbound lanes of I-435 and crashed into the crossover SUV near Missouri 210, according to police.

As of Wednesday morning, that was all the police would tell us. But the public deserves more on the officers involved in this deadly chase. We await the release of this information.

This story was originally published January 3, 2024 at 11:17 AM.