The life of a Missouri police officer was tragically cut short Tuesday when a suspect shot him during a routine traffic stop, authorities said.
Officials say North Kansas City Police Officer Daniel Vasquez was shot and killed after arresting a driver for an expired temporary tag.
He was rushed to hospital but later died of his injuries, according to KMBC 9.
“This morning, North Kansas City Police Officer Daniel Vasquez was killed in the line of duty while performing a car stop in a neighborhood,” said North Kansas City Mayor, Bryant DeLong, in a statement posted on Facebook.
“I cannot express how agonizing this senseless death is for our organization and our community. Daniel’s family, the NKC Police Department and our entire community mourn this tragedy. »
DeLong said Vasquez served in the police department for nearly two years.
North Kansas City Police Chief Kevin Freeman called Vasquez a “shining star for our department” during a press briefing broadcast on KMBC 9.
“These are tragedies, but to see someone so young so early in their career losing their life to such senseless violence is simply unfathomable,” Freeman said.
The suspect fled after shooting Vasquez, Clay County Sheriff Will Akin said in an earlier news conference broadcast by Fox 4, triggering a multi-agency search for him. Vasquez stopped the driver due to expired temporary tags, Akin said.
The suspect then turned himself in to Kansas City police in Missouri, Freeman said.
The identity of the alleged shooter was not released on Tuesday.