By Rep. Paul Anderson
It was news that no one wants to hear.
Reports of a police-officer shooting began coming across social media around 8 p.m. this past Saturday. Officers had been dispatched to Cyrus, a small town in western Pope County, in response to a domestic situation.
Two Pope County deputies answered the call, along with one police officer from Starbuck. While at the scene, shots were fired and all three law enforcement officers were hit. Two received wounds that were considered non-life threatening. The third, however, Deputy Josh Owen, sustained serious injuries and was transported by ambulance to the Glacial Ridge Hospital in Glenwood, where he later died.
Our community has been shocked and saddened by the incident. Those in the law enforcement profession develop a bond with each other. They have each other's back and rely on each other in dangerous situations. One could see the look of anguish on the faces of those who stood for a press conference in Glenwood Sunday afternoon. They had lost one of their own.
Deputy Owen served nearly 12 years with the department, following a career in the military, and had recently been honored with a distinguished service award for helping rescue someone from a burning home. Pope County Sheriff Tim Riley talked about the big heart that Deputy Owen possessed. He said that big heart was as big as Deputy Owen's stature. His loss will leave a void in the department, one that will take time to fill.
With this incident, a total of seven members of law enforcement have been shot this year in our state. That's a disturbing number, and it's been steadily rising for the past few years. The vast majority of residents respect these officers and are thankful for what they do.
Can you imagine what it would be like if we had nobody to protect us? Public safety and law enforcement are bedrocks of our society, and without them, our country would fail.
These men and women have a difficult job to do. We mourn the tragic and senseless loss of Deputy Owen, while at the same time renewing our appreciation of the important job those in law enforcement do for us every day.
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