Mo. Police, Prosecutor Seek Cooperation after Officer's Death

The Kansas City Police Department and the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office issued a joint statement Friday after an Independence police officer was killed in a shooting earlier in the week.

The statement said both agencies agreed to examine opportunities to work together to ensure all dangerous offenders are appropriately addressed.

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"When faced with a tragedy like this, we are called upon to improve ways to intervene and prevent senseless gun violence in our community," the statement said.

"Jail capacity, recent legislative changes and societal attitudes make addressing gun possession and violence increasingly difficult," the statement said. "That said, our agencies will seek greater communication among all criminal justice partners to share information regarding those who pose potential threats of violence and use all out collective leverage to address those situations."

The statement comes after 22-year-old Independence police officer Blaize Madrid-Evans was shot and killed Wednesday.

Details of shooting

Madrid-Evans was accompanied by his field training officer when they responded around noon to a residence in the 2440 block of South Northern Boulevard. Police received a tip that a man accused of violating his parole for a firearm conviction was inside of the residence.

Once there, Madrid-Evans was shot by another man, who was also killed. The suspect, identified by authorities as Cody L. Harrison, 33, died at the scene.

Harrison had been arrested on Sept. 2 on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm but he was released on his own recognizance.

It was not until Sept. 7 that Kansas City submitted a case to Jackson County prosecutors. Prosecutors said they did not receive the case until Sept. 9, when Harrison had been out of custody for several days.

Past cases

On Monday, an arrest warrant was issued for Harrison in another case. Charged with second-degree burglary and stealing after he was accused of breaking into a business in Grain Valley, Harrison had failed to appear for a hearing in late August.

Prosecutors allege Harrison stole a safe, two sets of keys for moving trucks, a steal dolly and $1,000 in cash. That case had been filed in February, said Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

In 2011, Harrison was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in Clay County Circuit Court for unlawful use of a weapon. He was on parole for the Clay County conviction at the time of the shooting earlier this week, they said.

Harrison was incarcerated in state prisons from October 2011 to July 2018. He also was in prison from November 2020 until May 24, according to the Missouri Department of Corrections.

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