Kansas City, MO – The suspect in the shooting death of Officer Daniel Vasquez, 32, has been charged with first degree murder and armed criminal action by the Clay County prosecutor.
Police officer Daniel Vasquez, 32, was shot to death Tuesday morning during a traffic stop in North Kansas City, a small city just north of downtown Kansas City.
Officer Vasquez was "a phenomenal person. He was a shining star in our department. He was easy to talk to. He didn't have an enemy. Everybody was his friend. It's senseless. It's senseless all the time but he was just a great, great human being," said North Kansas City Police Chief Kevin Freeman.
Investigators said Vasquez had stopped a vehicle for expired temporary tags at 21st Avenue and Clay Street. They say the suspect got out of the car, fired shots at Vasquez, and then took off. Vasquez was rushed to North Kansas City Hospital. He died a short time later.
Freeman said the suspect turned himself into police in Kansas City after a Blue Alert was issued for his car.
Similar to an Amber Alert and a Silver Advisory, Blue Alerts are issued when a suspect has killed, seriously injured, or actively poses an imminent and credible threat to law enforcement.
KMBC reported that Vasquez was in the same recruiting class as Independence, Missouri police officer Blaize Madrid Evans who was shot and killed in September. Both graduated from the police academy in July 2021.
This is the first line of duty death for the North Kansas City Police Department.
Donations to Vasquez' family are being coordinated through the Kansas City FOP.