SHERIFF: INCIDENT ‘HAS ALL THE HALLMARKS OF ROAD RAGE’
Some details are beginning to emerge in the Interstate 29 shooting death of Dennis Sharkey, a local sports reporter for the Platte County Citizen.
Sharkey was killed in a shooting that occurred just before 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 10 on Interstate 29 in Platte County near the 72nd St. exit.
Platte County Sheriff Erik Holland provided an update in a phone interview with The Landmark Monday afternoon. Holland said the incident “has all the hallmarks of a road rage incident, but we’re going to be doing a thorough investigation and looking at all possible avenues and motivations.”
Holland said detectives have been checking with nearby businesses for video surveillance footage that may be helpful.
The sheriff said at this time investigators believe both Sharkey’s vehicle and the suspect’s vehicle came to a stop in the right hand lane of I-29 north of 72nd Street. The sheriff says the suspect got out of his vehicle, and Sharkey then attempted to drive around the suspect’s vehicle on the left. That’s when a single shot was fired into Sharkey’s vehicle, the sheriff said.
Holland said after the shot was fired north of the 72nd St. exit, Sharkey’s car traveled a short distance before leaving the right side of the roadway just south of the 72nd St. exit. Sharkey’s vehicle, which was a white Chevy Spark, traveled down an embankment and came to rest near the barrier fence along NW Prairie View Road at about 70th St.
Camera footage from a nearby business reportedly shows two vehicles and three individuals stopping to attempt to help Sharkey in some fashion.
According to Captain Jake Becchina with the Kansas City Police Department, when KCPD officers arrived Sharkey was unresponsive inside the vehicle. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived and took over. Becchina said EMS transported Sharkey to the hospital, where he was declared deceased.
KCPD originally was working the case since it was believed the shooting occurred inside the city limits of Kansas City. It was later determined the shooting actually occurred at a section of I-29 that lies within the city limits of Platte Woods, and the Platte County Sheriff’s Department took over as the lead investigative agency.
On Saturday, the sheriff requested activation of the Kansas City Metro Squad, a team of detectives from the Kansas City area, who are concentrating on the case.
Authorities are asking anyone who was in the area around that time to call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS.
“We are getting some calls in on the TIPS hotline. We are trying to keep the public’s attention on it in the new week,” Holland said Monday.
The sheriff then specified a time window and geographical area in which motorists may have spotted something that could aid in the investigation.
“If this is a road rage incident, there is the possibility that events occurred further up the road,” Holland said. “Anyone traveling south of Platte City and north of 72nd Street between 6:45 and 7 p.m. on Friday we are asking them to call to speak with TIPS hotline investigators.”
The sheriff confirmed there is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.
DENNIS SHARKEY
Sharkey, age 50, of Liberty, had worked in journalism for many years. He most recently had been working as the high school sports reporter for the Citizen.
About 15 years ago Sharkey worked as a news reporter for the Platte County Landmark, from September of 2009 to January of 2010.
Some of his other stints with newspapers included time with the Oskaloosa Independent in Oskaloosa, Kan., the Mound City (Mo.) News, the Mexico (Mo.) Ledger and multiple years covering sports for the Citizen.
A Kansas City native, Sharkey had a journalism degree from Northwest Missouri State University.
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