KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The man who allegedly confessed to shooting and killing a North Kansas City police officer during a traffic stop in July 2022 appeared Tuesday in Clay County Circuit Court.
Joshua Rocha, 25, was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection to NKC Police Officer Daniel Vasquez’s death on July 19, 2022.
Vasquez, who was 32 when he was murdered, stopped Rocha, who said he was heading to buy ammunition, for having expired tags that belonged to a different vehicle.
Rocha shot Vasquez multiple times with an AR-style rifle as he approached the vehicle. He later said “he didn’t want to go to jail or have his vehicle towed.”
The case against Rocha, who faces the death penalty for Vasquez’s murder, was continued until March 12, 2024.
Clay County Circuit Court Judge David Paul Chamberlain ruled in July that Rocha’s murder trial would begin on Sept. 29, 2025, which is still more than two years away.
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For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Tips leading to an arrest made through the Tips Hotline may be eligible for up to a $25,000 reward.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
