Michelle Fischbach: “On Saturday night, Pope County Deputy Sheriff Josh Owen was tragically shot and killed in the line of duty. He and two…”

“On Saturday night, Pope County Deputy Sheriff Josh Owen was tragically shot and killed in the line of duty. He and two other law enforcement officers were responding to a domestic violence call in Cyrus, Minnesota, when the suspect opened fire. It was his 44th birthday. Deputy Owen spent nearly 12 years with the sheriff's office and recently received a Distinguished Service Award for his actions responding to a house fire. He is pictured here with his K9 partner, Karma. He was also a military veteran serving with the Minnesota National Guard and deploying to Iraq for 22 months. Josh leaves behind a wife, Shannon, and a 10-year-old son, Rylan. Those of us with ties to law enforcement, who see loved ones risking their lives every day to protect and serve others, share their pain. Josh's colleagues placed a squad car on the front lawn of the sheriff's office on Sunday, and the community has made it into a memorial to pay their respects to this outstanding member of the community and show his family how loved he was. Yesterday, there was a procession to bring his body home. Law enforcement agencies from across the State turned out to honor their fallen brother. This is a devastating, heartbreaking reminder that our men and women of law enforcement put their communities above all else every single day.…”