By Andrea Klick, Matti Gellman
Source The Kansas City Star
A public funeral is underway Wednesday for a Kansas City police officer killed in the line of duty last week.
Community members who want to pay their respects to Officer James Muhlbauer, 42, and his police K-9 Champ can attend the visitation at Municipal Auditorium, 301 West 13th Street, which is open to the public from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
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Parking is first come, first serve, at the parking garage beneath Barney Allis Plaza, accessible from Wyandotte Street, south of West 12th Street.
An 11:30 a.m. funeral service will follow the visitation. It will not be open to the public but will be broadcast live.
Following the funeral, a procession will leave Municipal Auditorium for the funeral home.
The procession will exit on 13th Street to Broadway Boulevard, then head northbound on Broadway Boulevard to the Buck O’Neil Bridge, turning onto northbound 169 Highway. The vehicles will then take the Vivion Road exit, and continue eastbound on Vivion Road before heading northbound on Antioch Road. From there they will turn eastbound on 64th Street, then ending again at Antioch Street.
Muhlbauer was patrolling with Champ on Feb. 15 when they were struck by another vehicle near Truman Road and Benton Boulevard. Both Muhlbauer and Champ were killed.
Police said the impact caused a secondary collision that killed pedestrian Jesse Eckes, 52. A Tonganoxie man is facing charges in the crash.
‘A very sad day’
Update 11:40 a.m.: Father Andres Moreno, a chaplain for the police department, began the service with a prayer for Officer Muhlbauer and the community. He appeared in a white cloak and dark-colored scarf. A photo of the fallen officer in his KCPD uniform covered the podium.
“This is a very sad day for this community for the loss of our brother Officer James Muhlbauer,” Moreno said.
He expressed his sorrow for Muhlbauer’s family, including his wife and child. The community, he said, is also grieving Muhlbauer’s untimely death.
“We stand together in grief,” he said. “Left alone we would fall down in despair, but together we pray and support each other.”
Muhlbauer’s death doesn’t make sense to anyone, Moreno said, and everyone should continue praying and working toward justice and peace for the officer’s loved ones. He thanked police officers for their service and said they take on the job knowing their lives may be taken in the line of duty.
Moreno called on the audience to reflect on Officer Muhlbauer’s contributions to the community, and went on to speak about his love for the outdoors, family and friends in a prayer with the funeral goers.
Before Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves took the mic, a vocalist sang Michael Crawford’s “On Eagle’s Wings.”
Law enforcement, community members arrive to pay respects
Update 10:20 a.m.: As funeral goers began arriving at 9:30 a.m, the intersections around West 13th and Central streets and West 13 and Wyandotte streets flooded with patrol vehicles. Drivers diverted to alternate routes, causing traffic in the area.
By 9:45 a.m., crowds of pedestrians dressed in heavy coats and rain jackets filtered into the Municipal Arena. At least 60 officers stood in the hallway of the auditorium, smiling and holding trays of coffee.
Canine officers barking in cars parked along Central could be heard from outside.
In the Music Hall, about 30 officers stood in a circle, many with their hats pressed to their chests and their heads down.
By 10:15 a.m., bagpipes played throughout the main lobby. Men standing in kilts off to the side of the lobby crowded into a dark room to practice before the funeral services began.
Inside the arena, a line of visitors wrapped around the hallway. Many inside signed their names in books labeled “friends and relatives” and picked up pamphlets with pictures of the fallen officer.
Gov. Parson, police agencies share condolences
Update 9:45 a.m.: Gov. Mike Parson and law enforcement agencies across the area shared their respects online as crowds arrived to the visitation Wednesday morning.
“Officer Muhlbauer and K-9 Champ worked as inseparable partners and guardians of the Kansas City community,” Parson wrote on Twitter. “We will forever remember their dedication and commitment to the protection of Kansas City and Missouri.”
Parson previously declared that flags would be flown at half-staff at all government buildings in Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties to honor Muhlbauer and Champ.
Local law enforcement agencies, including the Prairie Village and Gladstone police departments, also shared their respects online ahead of the visitation and funeral.
Kansas City Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, who represents the third district, also encouraged people to “show our Kansas City love” by donating to Muhlbauer’s family.
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