Woman Charged With Murder in Fatal Stabbing of Kansas City Firefighter-Paramedic
By Robert A. Cronkleton and PJ Green, The Kansas City Star
A Northland woman is facing a murder charge after she allegedly fatally stabbed a Kansas City firefighter-paramedic who was trying to help her, court records show.
Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson has charged Shanetta Bossell with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, third-degree assault of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest in the death of 29-year-old Graham Hoffman.
Bossell was booked overnight into Clay County jail and was being held on a $1 million bond.
Bossell appeared in court via video conference Monday afternoon where she shook her head as Clay County Circuit Judge Louis Angles read the charges to her. Bosswell entered a plea of not guilty. She also said she would need a public defender.
Angles set her next court date, a bond hearing, for 1:30 p.m. May 5.
Before the attack early Sunday, callers phoned police just after 12:30 a.m., asking officers to check the welfare of a woman who was walking on Missouri 152 near North Oak Trafficway, said Capt. Jake Becchina, a police spokesman.
Officers found the woman, later identified as Bossell, on the side of the highway, and they eventually requested a medical crew to respond to provide further treatment, Becchina said.
Hoffman and his partner responded to the medical call about 1 a.m. and were on the way to a hospital when Bossell allegedly stabbed Hoffman with an “edged weapon,” Becchina said.
Hoffman was stabbed in the chest, piercing his heart, Kansas City Fire Chief Ross Grundyson said in a statement.
Hoffman’s partner stopped the ambulance at Missouri 152 and Platte Purchase Road and signaled to a police officer who had been following that they needed help, Becchina said. The officer took Bossell into custody.
Hoffman’s partner also declared a crew emergency, asking for extra medical help. Fellow firefighters responded and worked to save Hoffman’s life as they took him to North Kansas City Hospital.
Hospital staff treated Hoffman in the emergency room before taking him into surgery, Grundyson said. After surgery, Hoffman was placed in the intensive care unit, where he died.
A Community Grieves
Hoffman had been a member of the fire department for three years, Grundyson said.
“Graham was a vibrant individual who loved life and loved serving his community,” Grundyson said. “He was an excellent paramedic who treated his patients with the highest level of skill and compassion.”
Hoffman’s courage, compassion and commitment to the community will never be forgotten, Grundyson said.
Grundyson added that the fire department grieves with Hoffman’s family, friends and loved ones. He also thanked KCFD members and staff at North Kansas City Hospital for their efforts to save Hoffman’s life, as well as the Kansas City Police Department for quickly apprehending Bossell.
“This is a senseless act that has taken a great young man from his family, friends, and coworkers, and deprived our city of a dedicated firefighter and a leader on and off the job who only wanted to serve and protect those in his community,” Grundyson said.
Mayor Quinton Lucas said he was heartbroken by the loss of Hoffman and that the “senseless act” is a reminder of the dangers the city’s first responders face daily.
“At just 29, Graham embodied Kansas City’s finest quality — selfless service for others,” Lucas said in a statement. “That he was taken from us while working to save lives makes this loss all the more painful.”
The killing of the firefighter-paramedic comes less than a week after Bossell was charged with allegedly biting an off-duty Platte City police officer in Kansas City’s Northland.
The officer had returned home from work Wednesday morning and saw Bossell allegedly pulling on the handles of his personal vehicle. He confronted Bossell and a struggle ensued, during which she allegedly bit the officer.
Bossell was charged with second-degree assault of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. Court records showed she posted bond Friday.
The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee contributed to this story.
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