Suspect arrested and charged in connection with fatal shooting of North Kansas City police officer

By Amir Vera, Chuck Johnston, Amy Simonson and Rebekah Riess, CNN

Authorities in Missouri have arrested and charged a man accused of fatally shooting a North Kansas City police officer, Clay County Attorney Dan White announced Wednesday.

Joshua T. Rocha, 24, has been charged with first-degree murder and felony armed criminal action. He is being held on a $2 million bond and will be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, White said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Rocha had not been assigned an attorney, according to the Clay County Public Defender’s Office.

The officer, identified as Daniel Vasquez, 32, was shot and killed Tuesday while attempting to conduct a traffic stop, according to a probable cause statement form.

North Kansas City Police Chief Kevin Freeman said Tuesday Vasquez’s death is the first line-of-duty death in the department’s history.

Vasquez’s death follows the fatal shooting of a Detroit police officer earlier this month whom authorities say was “ambushed” by a 19-year-old gunman.

Suspect seen on video shooting the officer, according to the probable cause statement form

The attempted traffic stop took place around 10:40 a.m. Tuesday after Vasquez spotted a vehicle with expired temporary tags, according to police. During the stop, dash camera video appears to show a man “shooting the officer in the face one time from inside the vehicle after partially opening the driver door,” the probable cause statement said.

The man then stepped out of the vehicle “firing a rifle two more times at the officer who is lying in the street, returns to his vehicle, and leaves the scene,” the document said.

Vasquez was taken to a local hospital where he died of his injuries, the document said.

Police arrested Rocha at the Clay County Annex after he walked inside and told an employee he needed to turn himself into custody, the document read.

When asked why, the suspect allegedly said, “I committed murder,” the statement said.

“Rocha admitted he had intentionally shot the police officer and had done so because he did not want to go to jail or have his vehicle towed,” the document read.

Rocha told investigators he was en route to buy ammunition when he was stopped, the document read.

“Rocha advised prior to stopping, he reached over into the passenger seat and placed his rifle in his lap,” the document read. “Rocha … advised he shot the officer as soon as he was at the driver side door and looked into Rocha’s window.”

According to the probable cause statement, Rocha told investigators he emptied the magazine, which he believed had five rounds. He allegedly told investigators he fled the scene and “made efforts to change his appearance” by changing his clothes and cutting off his goatee. He also also spray-painted the rear of his vehicle and removed the temporary tags the document read.

Officer had been on the force for 2 years

Freeman said Tuesday Vasquez was a two-year member and “a shining star for our department.”

“To see such a young person so early on in his career lose his life to such senseless violence is just unfathomable,” Freeman said.

North Kansas City Mayor Bryant DeLong said Tuesday the city will be there for the family of Vasquez as well as the North Kansas City Police Department.

Freeman said the family of Vasquez was working on funeral arrangements Wednesday, and hope to have more details on services soon.

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