Another Kansas City, Kansas law enforcement officer has lost his life in the line of duty. 26-year old KCKPD officer Hunter Simoncic died Tuesday morning from injuries sustained when he was struck by a stolen truck fleeing from police pursuit.

Simoncic was putting down “stop sticks” near 72nd Steet and State Avenue to disable the fleeing vehicle driven by Dennis Mitchell III.

The pursuit started after KCKPD officers found Mitchell asleep in the driver’s seat of a truck near 77th Street and Everett Avenue, where they were investigating reports of gunshots around 12:30 AM Tuesday.

According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the case, Mitchell woke as officers approached and drove away, with the officers pursuing. As he fled east on State Avenue, he struck Simoncic, reportedly steering directly towards him. Mitchell later crashed on Kaw Drive, near 65th Street, where he was arrested.

After being treated at KU Medical Center, Mitchell was locked up in the Wyandotte County Jail. The 31-year old KCK resident is held on suspicion of “first-degree murder, vehicular homicide, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, theft, criminal possession of a firearm, and aggravated failure to appear.”

Charges are expected to be filed by Wyandotte County DA Mark Dupree after the KBI completes its investigation and submits its report.

Simoncic grew up in southeast Kansas, graduating from Pittsburg State University and later earning a masters degree from Oklahoma State University. He was a volunteer at Benjamin Banneker Elementary, where he read to students weekly in the Lead to Read KC program.

He had been on the KCKPD since 2023, following service at the Southeast Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Girard.

Simoncic’s death comes just a month after the shooting death of Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Deputy Elijah Ming.