Missouri police chase victim headed to see newborn daughter

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A victim in a suburban Kansas City police chase that killed four people has been identified as a father who was headed to see his newborn daughter.

Aaron Daniel was identified by Kansas City police as one of the victims in the crash Friday. Independence police were pursuing a Jeep they believed to be stolen, which fled into Kansas City and crashed into another vehicle at an intersection.

Daniel's daughter was born two days before the collision, The Kansas City Star reported .

His father, McAllister Daniel, said the 29-year-old was on the way to his partner's home in Kansas City to "celebrate their newborn." He said his son also has three other children, ages 5, 7 and 10.

McAllister Daniel questioned the police's decision to pursue the vehicle in a high-speed, heavily trafficked area, calling it "reckless."

An Independence police spokesman said the "Jeep was stolen out of Independence the night before." Police pursued the Jeep for about 2 miles, according to court records.

The department's policy states that "keeping the safety of the public" should be the "highest priority" when determining whether to engage in a pursuit. It outlines that officers should avoid chases "whenever practical" and that "any pursuit will be discontinued when there clearly is excessive danger to anyone."

Kansas City police said Shawn Johnson, 30, was also killed in the crash, along with a man whose identity hasn't been released. A 27-year-old Independence woman who was the front passenger in the Jeep was pronounced dead at the scene.

Victoria Brown, who is suspected of being the Jeep's driver, has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder, according to the Jackson County prosecutor's office.

"Not to make light of a possible auto theft, but by no means is it worth four deaths," McAllister Daniel said. "We've got four different families who have lost a loved one."

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com