Overland Park Police Department, Kansas
End of Watch: Saturday, January 26, 1985
Age: 26
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Badge Number: 530
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: January 24, 1985
Weapon Used: Automobile; Alcohol involved
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 10 years
Police Officer Deanna Rose was killed on I-35 after a man she was attempting to arrest for drunk driving assaulted her and ran over her.
During the arrest at 2:00 a.m., the boy knocked her down beneath his car. As he drove away, he ran her over. She succumbed to her injuries two days later after donating her organs.
The suspect was originally charged with first-degree murder, with the alternative charge of second-degree murder and DWI. The suspect pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to five to 10 years. He was released after his first parole, on June 4th, 1994, after serving nine years.
Officer Rose had served with the Overland Park Police Department for two years and previously served with the San Diego County Sheriff's Office in California. She is survived by her husband, mother, father, and six brothers and sisters.
Officer Rose was the first Overland Park police officer killed in the line of duty and the first female officer in Kansas to die in the line of duty. Officer Rose received the Award for Valor posthumously from the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police.
The City of Overland Park dedicated a 12-acre children’s farm in honor of Officer Rose in 1985.