GLENWOOD, Minn. 鈥� A sharp, north wind blew as an estimated 4,500 people stood silent outside the Minnewaska Area High 歪歪漫画 outside of Glenwood, Minnesota, shortly after noon Saturday.
The vast majority were in the uniforms of law enforcement agencies from across the state and beyond, all standing at attention. A military salute was fired. Taps was played. A plane flew over unleashing a trail of smoke. Bagpipes played. The flag that draped her husband鈥檚 casket was presented to Shannon Owen.
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And with that, those who had joined to celebrate the life of Joshua Anthony Owen drove into Glenwood as part of a miles-long procession of law enforcement vehicles. And there, even more people waited. Hundreds of people, some holding flags and signs, stood silent in the cold wind on Minnesota Avenue.
鈥淎 hero鈥� is the straightforward assessment that Lt. Col. John Anderson, 2nd Battalion 136th Infantry, Minnesota National Guard, offered at the school as part of the eulogy to the fallen Pope County sheriff鈥檚 deputy.
Owen lost his life April 15, his 44th birthday, as he and two other law officers responded to a domestic abuse incident in the small town of Cyrus.
鈥滺e sacrificed his life in a noble profession for the principles he believed in,鈥� Nathan Brecht, chief deputy of the Pope County Sheriff鈥檚 Office, told the thousands who had gathered in the school鈥檚 gymnasium, auditorium, and secondary gymnasium for the service.
鈥淭oday is a reminder of the dangers that lurk in all communities,鈥� said Brecht during his address.
Owen preferred to work the night shifts, and he made Pope County a much safer place for it, according to Brecht, who described him as 鈥渟trong.鈥�
鈥淗is presence brought a sense of calm. You felt that everything was going to be OK when you were around Josh,鈥� said the chief deputy.
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鈥淎lways pick Josh鈥� is the advice that Lt. Col. Anderson, who served as his platoon leader in Iraq, was told before their deployment. They were deployed for 22 months, 16 months of that time in Iraq.
Anderson told how he picked Owen when their convoy came under small arms fire north of Baghdad at night after an improvised explosive device detonated. Owen risked his life to extricate a badly injured truck driver and saved his life during the attack.
Josh Palmateer has heard 鈥渟tory upon story鈥� of how Owen helped others during this past week. Palmateer, a cousin to Shannon Owen, told of how Josh Owen saved the life of one woman he arrested with a drug problem, telling her she had too much potential.
Palmateer and others had plenty of humorous stories to tell about Owen as well. He was an accomplished prankster, hated paperwork and formalities, but was also a devoted husband and father.
Owen leaves behind his wife and young son, Rylan, but speakers at the service made it clear that they will always be supported.
The thousands of law officers who gathered in Glenwood on Saturday were not there just to honor Owen, but also 鈥渢o support you and your mother,鈥� Lt. Col. Anderson told Rylan. The brotherhood and sisterhood of law enforcement personnel will be there to support you into manhood, he said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know why God had to pick Josh so soon, but I am sure God needed a hero,鈥� said Anderson.
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The thousands of law enforcement officers present for the service represented the full spectrum of agencies in the state and more. There was a squad car from Saginaw, Michigan, where Owen was born, and an ambulance from Chetek, Wisconsin, where two officers were killed in the line of duty prior to Owen鈥檚 death.
In Glenwood, those who lined the street on Saturday said they were there for one reason: To show their support. That support was not just for Owen鈥檚 family, but for all of those who serve in law enforcement.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to show support to the cops. They鈥檝e been having a bad rap,鈥� said Ray Gylse, who was among those who gathered to watch the procession of law enforcement vehicles.
Chief Deputy Brecht asked those attending the service to continue to show their support for law enforcement by turning on a blue light at night. He said the outpouring of support he鈥檚 witnessed in the aftermath of Owen鈥檚 death has only reaffirmed his conviction that law enforcement remains a noble profession.
Owen had responded to the call one week ago in Cyrus alongside Pope County Deputy Brody Merrill and Starbuck Police Officer Alex Olson. When told that he was under arrest, Bryan Nygard, 34, of Cyrus, is reported to have pulled out a handgun and shot the officers, according to the early investigation conducted by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Nygard died at the scene of multiple gunshot wounds. Merrill and Olson were not seriously injured.
Owen had served the Pope County Sheriff's Office for nearly 12 years.
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Along with his wife and son, Owen is survived by his mother, Kathy Yarns of Prior Lake, father Daniel Owen of Saginaw, Michigan, and brother Matthew of Prior Lake.
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