Hug your loved ones everyday. Tell the people you love, you love them. Life is short and you never know when the day could come where you don’t have the chance to say “I love you” or hug your significant other again.
Pope County Deputy Josh Owen was looking forward to celebrating his birthday on April 15th. Unfortunately, his life was taken the same day he was born, 44 years later. Deputy Owen was responding to a domestic violence call in the small town of Cyrus in Northwestern Minnesota when the suspect opened fire, killing Deputy Owen. Two other law enforcement officers were also shot at the scene but did survive. On Saturday morning, thousands of loved ones, first responders, military members and fellow law enforcement coworkers came together to honor and cherish the life of Deputy Own at Minnewaska Area High School. Family and friends talked about the passion and commitment Deputy Owen had for his job and keeping the people around him safe. They remembered him as “a loving husband, father, heroic military veteran, selfless law enforcement officer and fun-loving friend and colleague with a sense of humor and distinctive laugh.” "He was strong. His presence brought a sense of calm. You just felt like everything was going to be ok when you were around Josh," said Pope County Chief Deputy Nathan Brecht. "This man was your protector in Pope County. As your family slept soundly, he kept watch."
Deputy Owen lived a life to the fullest and was proud to serve his country. Before joining the Pope County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Owen served in the Army National Guard, deploying to Bosnia and then Iraq. His friends in the Army National Guard said that he was remembered as a brave service member who had a fun-loving side. His cousin, Josh Palmateer said, “Josh was a patriot through and through. He loved his country and was honored to serve.” Deputy Owen had a loving family and wife that he absolutely adored. So much love for her that he would keep a poster of her on his wall while serving overseas. Lieutenant Colonel John Anderson of the Minnesota National Guard joked, "While every other soldier had wall hangings of women they only dreamed of meeting, Josh had a poster of Shannon in a bikini.” Anderson spoke directly to Owen’s wife Shannon and their son Rylan at the funeral on Saturday stating, "There will be times you will feel alone, times you feel cheated. In those times, please remember this room."
The thousands of law enforcement officers who gathered together on Saturday were there to not only honor Deputy Owen but also to show their support to Shannon and Rylan. Those who lined the street on Saturday were there to show support not only for Deputy Owens family but also for those who serve in law enforcement. One member of the thousands of supporters stated, “It’s good to show support to the cops. They’ve been having a bad rap.”
Chief Deputy Brecht asked those who attended the service to continue to show their support for law enforcement by turning on a blue light at night. The outpouring of support witnessed in the aftermath of Deputy Owens death only reaffirmed the belief that law enforcement remains to be a noble profession. And we couldn’t agree more.
We are lending our thoughts, prayers and support to Deputy Owens friends and family and also to all law enforcement men and women who continuously work hard to keep people safe while putting their lives on the line.
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