KCK street renamed in honor of fallen Officer Hunter Simoncic
The Kansas City, Kansas, community paid tribute to a fallen officer Wednesday, dedicating a street in his honor.
Exactly one year after KCKPD Officer Hunter Simoncic was killed in the line of duty, the police department and community held a dedication ceremony at Kansas City, Kansas, Community College, renaming Campus Boulevard to Officer Hunter Simoncic Boulevard.
The street runs through the college from Parallel Parkway to State Avenue, not far from where the Kansas City, Kansas, police officer was killed.
Simoncic's mother, Christine Brungardt, presented a check for $1,000 to the Lead to Read program funded by the Johnson County Sheriff's Office Shoutout group as part of the ceremony.
Simoncic, who overcame a stutter, was a mentor for second graders in the Lead to Read program at Banneker Elementary School.
He was also part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas City program.
"He really loved this community and he was not from this community. So that says a lot," said KCK Police Chief Karl Oakman.
On Wednesday afternoon, Brungardt, along with Hunter's father, Ron Simoncic, and Hunter's brother, Fischer Simoncic, took part in a ceremony unveiling the new street sign.
They were joined by Kansas U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, KCK Mayor Cristal Watson and Chief Oakman.
When the unveiling ceremony was over, attendees walked down the newly named boulevard with blue and white carnations and placed them in two planters.
An honor guard placed the planters in the median where investigators say Dennis Mitchell intentionally ran over Simoncic trying to flee police.
Wednesday was the first time Simoncic's parents came to the scene.
"Even with all of this happening, if you asked Hunter, would he do it again? He would say, absolutely," Chief Oakman said.
Simoncic was 26 when he was killed.
Mitchell faces several charges, including capital murder. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
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