Fallen Overland Park police officer fought for pay raises

A fallen Overland Park police officer was on the front lines of a different kind of battle before his death.

Mike Mosher, who died Sunday after a gunfire exchange with a hit-and-run suspect, spoke out against recently announced furloughs for city employees.

AT HALF-STAFF NEXTWEDNESDAY.HE WAS A LEADER ANDNOT AFRAID TO PUTHIMSELF IN A TOUGHPOSITION.BEFORE HE WAS SHOTAND KILLED SUNDAY,OVERLAND PARK POLICEOFFICER MIKE MOSHERWAS ON THE FRONT LINESOF A DIFFERENT KIND OFBATTLE.41 ACTION NEWSINVESTIGATOR ANDYALCOCK TALKED WITH HISFAMILY ABOUT IT.YOU'LL HEAR FROMTHEM, BUT NOT SEE THEM-- BASED ON THEIRREQUEST.IN LATE MARCH,EXPECTING A MAJORPANDEMIC RELATEDREVENUE SHORTFALL, THEOVERLAND PARK CITYMANAGER ANNOUNCED HEWOULD FURLOUGH 200WORKERS AND FREEZEPAY RAISES FOR EVERYOTHER WORKERINCLUDING FIRSTRESPONDERS.THE FIRST EMPLOYEE TOPUBLICLY SPEAK OAGAINST THE DECISION,FOP PRESIDENT MIKEMOSHER.SPECIFICALLY IN THISLATE MARCH EMAIL,MOSHER CALLED ON THECITY TO DIP INTO ITSRESERVE FUND TO PAYTHE RAISES POLICEOFFICERS WEREEXPECTING.MOSHER WROTE AT A TIMEWHEN IT WAS UNCLEAR IFHIS JOB MIGHT BE ON THELINE FOR SPEAKING OUT,"ANY INCREASE IN PAYWOULD REFLECT AFRACTION OF THOSERESERVES.""MIKE WAS THE ONE WHOWAS ALWAYS GOING TO DOTHE RIGHT THING,REGARDLESS OF THECONSEQUENCES."MOSHER DIDN'T STOPTHERE.A FEW DAYS LATER ONAPRIL THIRD, HE SENT ASIMILAR EMAIL, THIS TIMEREPRESENTING BOTH THEPOLICE AND FIREFIGHTERSUNIONS.HE NOTED THOSE FIRSTREPSONDERS DON'T HAVETHE OPTION OF STAYINGHOME DURING THEPANDEMIC, WRITING "WEARE THE MEN AND WOMENON THE FRONT LINESPROTECTING THIS CITYAND ITS RESIDENTS.""IT WAS ASKING FORSOMETHING THAT WASPART OF THE PROMISETHAT WAS PROMISED TOTHEM."WHEN THE SCHEDULEDPAY RAISES DIDN'T GOFORWARD, A FEW DAYSLATER THERE WAS A NEWPROPOSAL FOR HAZARDPAY FOR FIRSTRESPONDERS.ON APRIL 7TH,COUNCILMAN PAUL LYONSQUESTIONED THEPROPOSAL'S TIMING ANDSAID FIRST RESPONDERJOBS ARE HAZARDOUS BYDEFINITION.PAUL LYONS/OVERLAND PARKCITY COUNCIL"IN THE SENSE THAT OFBEING OUT AND DEALINGWITH HAZARDOUSSITUATIONS, THAT ISREALLY NO DIFFERENT, ITMAY BE A LITTLE MOREEXTREME."MOSHER IMMEDIATELYFIRED BACK IN AN EMAILTO COUNCIL MEMBERSWITH PICTURES SHOWINGSEVERAL POLICEOFFICERS WEARINGMASKS TO PROTECTAGAINST THE VIRUS.COMMENTING ON LYONSREMARKS TO 41 ACTIONNEWS, MOSHER WROTE,."HE'S NOT GOING INTO THEHOMES WHERE PEOPLEHAVE THE VIRUS ANDRISKING HIS SAFETY ANDWELL BEING.

IT WAS ADISRESPECTFUL COMMENTTO MAKE."THAT WAS MIKE.

I MEAN INLIKE THE 5TH GRADE, HESTAGED A PROTESTBECAUSE THEY COULDN'THAVE GLUE IN THEIRDESKS."MIKE'S MOM SAID HE WONTHAT PROTEST ANDANOTHER ONE WHEN HECONVINCED FOOTBALLTEAMMATES TO WALK OFFBECAUSE THE COACHWOULDN'T GIVEEVERYONE A CHANCE TOPLAY.MORE RECENTLY, HIS DADSAYS MIKE ACCOMPLISHEDANOTHER GOAL.TO HAVE THE FOPBECOME MORE SERVICEORIENTED.I'M INVESTIGATOR ANDYALCOCK, 41 ACTION NEWS.THERE IS SO MUCH MOREMOSHER'S FAMILY SHAREDWITH OUR ANDY ALCOCK --INCLUDING WHY BEING ANOFFICER WAS MOSHER'SCALLING.READ ABOUT THAT IN THISSTORY ON K-S