A Kansas City police officer with Omaha ancestry was killed in the line of duty Wednesday.
James “Jim” Muhlbauer, 42, was born and raised in South Omaha, according to a Facebook post by the Omaha Police Officers Association. He began his career with the Kansas City Missouri Police Department 20 years ago and has served in the department’s patrol division throughout his tenure, including the last three years in the K-9 unit, according to the department. .
On Wednesday night, Muhlbauer was on patrol with his K-9 partner, a 3-year-old German Shepherd named Champ, when another vehicle struck his cruiser at high speed. The impact caused the cruiser to strike and kill a pedestrian, according to police.
Champ and the pedestrian, identified only as a man in his 50s, both died at the scene. Muhlbauer was taken to hospital with serious injuries and died soon after.
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Muhlbauer’s wife Cassie posted on Facebook thanking people for their support and prayers. The couple had one child together.
“He truly loved his job and was fully committed to making Kansas City proud of his work,” she said.
Muhlbauer is the first Kansas City police officer to die in the line of duty since May 2001, the department said. A donation drive and meal train were organized to support his family.
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