[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 18, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H1765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING DEPUTY SHERIFF JOSH OWEN
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
Minnesota (Mrs. Fischbach) for 5 minutes.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, 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.
I am praying for Deputy Owen's family and for Pope County and
Minnesota law enforcement communities as they mourn the loss of this
hero and continue to serve and protect us every day.
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