Kansas City Police Department, Missouri
End of Watch: Wednesday, January 14, 1998
Age: 53
Tour of Duty: 25 years
Badge Number: 1589
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: January 14, 1998
Weapon Used: Automobile; Alcohol involved
Suspect Info: Released in 2020
Police Officer Thomas Meyers was killed after being struck by a car while assisting a victim at the scene of an accident on I-29 near Tiffany Springs Road around 11 a.m.
While talking with the victim, another vehicle driving erratically at 80 mph struck him and the car that was involved in the accident. Two other people at the scene of the accident were injured as well.
The drunk driver, whose blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit, was charged with assault on a law enforcement officer and two counts of assault. The subject was denied parole in 2003, 2008, 2010, and 2015. The subject was released from prison in January 2020.
Officer Meyers was a United States Marine Corps veteran who served in law enforcement for 25 years, serving with the Gladstone and Riverside Police Departments before joining the Kansas City Police Department in 1985. He earned three Meritorious Service Awards and 39 letters of commendation during his career. Officer Meyers is survived by his wife, son, daughter, mother, and brother.
He is buried at the Terrace Park Cemetery, Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri.