Crime
50-year-old Dennis Sharkey killed after shooting on I-29 near NW 72nd Street in Platte County
Authorities have identified the victim of a fatal shooting that occurred Friday night, prompting a partial closure of Interstate 29 in Platte County.
The incident was reported shortly after 7 p.m. on the off-ramp of I-29 and Northwest 72nd Street.
According to the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD), officers responded to a call about a vehicle that had veered off the roadway.
Upon arrival, officers located the vehicle south of Northwest 72nd Street, off the highway on the southbound side. The car had come to rest against a barrier fence on an embankment along the outer road.
Inside the vehicle, police discovered 50-year-old Dennis A. Sharkey, a resident of Liberty, Missouri. Sharkey appeared to have sustained gunshot wounds and was unresponsive.
He was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the shooting likely occurred while Sharkey was driving southbound on I-29, at or just north of the Northwest 72nd Street area. The motive and circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation.
Detectives from KCPD are working to piece together the events that led to this tragic incident. Authorities are urging anyone who was in the area of I-29 between Barry Road and Northwest 72nd Street at the time of the shooting to come forward if they heard or saw anything unusual.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477. All tips remain confidential, and your information could assist law enforcement in resolving this case.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no further details are available at this time.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subjectโs vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorneyโs Office.