Local police officers join the Owen family at Washington D.C.

There was a large contingent of law enforcement officers from Pope County and the area at Washington D.C. last week to honor fallen officers during “National Police Week.”

It was estimated that more than 30,000 people gathered in Washington D.C. last week to pay tribute to the 118 officers killed in the line of duty in 2023, including eight officers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and North Dakota. 

Pope County Deputy Josh Owen was one of those officers killed last year during a domestic call in Cyrus and was honored at Washington D.C.  His wife, Shannon, and son, Ryland and family members were special guests at the event.

Amid National Police Week, families and officers commemorated their sacrifice, with their names etched in the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial  (See Josh Owen’s name in the photo below taken by Beth Bohlen). Brian Peters, president of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officer Association, noted the challenging climate for law enforcement, particularly in Minnesota, where attacks on officers reached record highs in 2023.

Check out more photos in our photo gallery!