Missouri cop Daniel Vasquez killed during traffic stop, suspect turns himself in

A Missouri police officer’s life was cut tragically short Tuesday when a suspect shot him during a routine traffic stop, authorities said.

North Kansas City police officer Daniel Vasquez was shot and killed after he pulled over a driver for an expired temporary tag, according to officials.

He was rushed to the 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,” North Kansas City Mayor Bryant DeLong said in a statement posted on Facebook.

“I cannot express how excruciating this senseless death is for our organization and community. Daniel’s family, the NKC Police Department, and our entire community are grieving from this tragedy.”

DeLong said Vasquez served with the police department for almost two years.

North Kansas City Police Chief Kevin Freeman called Vasquez a “shining star for our department” during a press briefing that was streamed on KMBC 9.

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

The suspect fled after he shot Vasquez, Clay County Sheriff Will Akin said at an earlier press conference streamed by Fox 4, sparking a multi-agency search for him. Vasquez pulled the driver over due to expired temporary tags, Akin said.

The suspect later turned himself in to Kansas City police of Missouri, Freeman said.

The identification for the alleged shooter was not reported Tuesday.