Honoring 2 Fallen Heroes

Honoring

Police Officer Hunter Simoncic

Kansas City Police Department, Kansas

EOW: Aug. 26, 2025 | Age: 26 | Tour: 1 Year

Police Officer Hunter Simoncic was intentionally struck and killed by the driver of a fleeing vehicle while he was deploying stop sticks on College Parkway and State Avenue in Kansas City. When responding to reports of gunfire in the area at 12:30 a.m., officers discovered an unconscious man in the driver's seat of a truck. As they approached, the driver fled, and officers pursued. The subject changed vehicles and continued to evade officers. Officer Simoncic and another officer were laying down stop sticks when the man intentionally drove over a median and swerved into Officer Simoncic, before driving away. Officer Simoncic was transported to the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries. The suspect crashed his truck and was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. When he was released, he was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, vehicular homicide, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, theft, criminal possession of a firearm, and aggravated failure to appear. The suspect, a convicted felon, had a warrant for his arrest and had a history of felony resisting arrest and evading law enforcement. Officer Simoncic had served with the Kansas City Police Department for over one year. He was survived by his parents and brother.

Honoring

Firefighter/Sawyer Ruben Gonzalez Romero

United States Forest Service - Region 6, Portland, Oregon

EOW: Aug. 24, 2025 | Age: 64 | Tour: None

Firefighter/Sawyer Ruben Romero was serving as a sawyer on a Type 2 crew with TJ Forestry Contracting LLC. While actively involved in suppression of the Bivens Creek Fire in Montana, Firefighter/Sawyer Romero suffered a cardiovascular event. Rapid medical assistance was rendered from a line paramedic. Resuscitation attempts, however, were unsuccessful and Firefighter/Sawyer Romero passed away.

Disclaimer:

This information is supplied by the Officer Down Memorial Page (www.odmp.org) and the U.S. Fire Administration (www.apps.usfa.fema.gov).

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First Responder Benefit Association (FRBA) is our nonprofit founded to fill the gap of financial hardship that can often burden families of fallen First Responders. The First Responder Task Force funds 100% of FRBA’s administrative and operational expenses so that 100% of public donations go directly to aiding the families in need.

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*The $5,000 survivor benefit is paid when a line of duty death occurs. Line of duty is defined as AFBA members who are Emergency Service Providers to include law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical services providers who are killed while involved in operations at or responding to/from the scene of an incident. If death occurs otherwise, outside of a suicide, the beneficiary will receive a $2000 benefit.

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