Officer Daniel Vasquez of the North Kansas City police was shot when he pulled over a car with expired temporary tags, for a traffic check. He later died of his gunshot wound and Mayor Bryant DeLong, along with the North Kansas community mourned his death. 

The mayor shared his statement in an afternoon update, saying, “The North Kansas City community’s hearts are with the officer and his family. It’s just a sad day for North Kansas City”. 

Vasquez joined the force in 2021 and the 32-year-old served for two years. 

The mayor became emotional while speaking about him and the other officers, noting that it didn’t matter how long one served the community, nobody wanted to see an officer hurt or killed. 

Also Read | What is a Blue Alert? Missouri alert systems explained

DeLong continued, “They’re our public safety officers. They’re why we feel as safe as we do every day. They’re why we feel safe to sleep at night. We know they’re out there protecting us”. 

Promising that the community would do everything possible to help Vasquez’s family and the North Kansas City police force, the mayor said “The whole NKC community stands behind our police force. We’ll be here for the family, we’ll be here for all of our other employees, so please, if you need anything, reach out”. 

Also Read | What is a peace officer?

The shooter had initially fled the scene but agencies cooperated to track him down, and reportedly, he later surrendered to the police and was taken into custody. Though the shooter’s name has not been revealed yet, investigators processed the scene of the crime and the shooter will face trial. 

A fund is being set up by the Fraternal Order of Police for people to donate to, and help Officer Vasquez’s family. They want only one fund to prevent scammers from setting up alternates and conning people into giving them money in the name of helping the deceased officer.