Three law enforcement officers were shot, one fatally on his birthday, while responding to a Saturday evening domestic call in western Minnesota, according to the Pope County sheriff’s office. A man who drew and fired a weapon at the scene also was killed.
Scott Mueller, deputy superintendent of investigations at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is handling the investigation, gave the following details during a Sunday afternoon news conference:
About 7:30 p.m. Saturday, two Pope County sheriff’s deputies and a Starbuck police officer responded to a domestic violence call at an apartment in the 400 block of North Stromen Street in Cyrus.
After entering the home and conducting some investigation, the law enforcement officers told a man at the home he was going to be arrested.
The man drew a gun and immediately began shooting. All four men were shot during the gun battle.
The man, who wasn’t identified by authorities, was pronounced dead at the scene. Deputy Josh Owen died after being rushed to the hospital in Glenwood, the Pope County seat.
Deputy Brody Merrill was treated at the hospital and released. The Starbuck officer, who has not been identified, didn’t require hospitalization.
Owen, who turned 44 on Saturday, had worked as a deputy for nearly 12 years after first serving in the U.S. military. Pope County Sheriff Tim Riley said Owen had a wife and a son.
“Deputy Owen had a heart as big as his stature,” Riley wrote in a post on his department’s Facebook page. “He loved his family, his brotherhood, and his community. … Our sympathies and love are with Deputy Josh Owen’s family, and the families of the other Deputies and Officers involved.”
According to the Forum News Service, Owen’s father wrote on social media: “I’m numb at this moment. Josh came into this world April 15, 1979. And on this day was taken from us. Rest easy my son.”
In a statement, Merrill’s family said: “Brody is ok physically, he’s hurt but going to be ok, but he’s devastated. One of his best friends died tonight.”
The BCA recovered a handgun and a number of shell casings. All three officers were wearing body cameras, and that footage will be released at a later time, Mueller said.
Mueller said seven Minnesota police officers have been shot in the line of duty so far this year.
“This is an alarming trend that needs to stop now,” he said. “These officers put on a badge every day committed to going out in public to protect the citizens of Minnesota, putting their lives on the line for that. They are committed to that and they will not stop doing that no matter what they face.”
When a reporter asked if there had been previous 911 calls to the home, Mueller said the only comment he could make was to say that the suspect had been in Minnesota for less than a year.
In a statement Sunday, Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association Executive Director Brian Peters said, “This killing is a senseless act of violence and hate towards police officers who put everything on the line to serve and protect our communities. It shows the dangers of the job that police do every day, and how what could be considered a ‘normal’ day could turn into their last day. This will have a disturbing impact on recruitment, retention, and the mental health and well-being of law enforcement and other emergency first responders.”
Three weeks ago, Owen and Merrill were honored by the sheriff’s office for rescuing a person from a burning home.
On Saturday, dozens of squad cars escorted Owen’s body to the Ramsey County medical examiner’s office in St. Paul, where an autopsy was to be performed.
Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan released statements Sunday night saying that the entire state was grieving Owen’s death.
“Deputy Owen was a husband, a father, a veteran, and a hero,” Walz said. “Just last year, he was honored with a distinguished service award after helping to rescue a neighbor from a burning home. He bravely served his state and nation. Gwen and I are praying for his family and community through this tragedy.”
“Our hearts are heavy today,” Flanagan said. “Our family prays for his loved ones, wishing them peace and comfort through the outpouring of support from Minnesotans across the state.”
The statement also asked that everybody lower their flags in Owen’s honor on the day of his interment.
Cyrus, with a population of some 300, is located about 20 miles southwest of Alexandria and 160 miles northwest of St. Paul.
This was the third time law enforcement officers in Minnesota and Wisconsin have been shot in recent days.
On Monday in southwestern Minnesota, a Granite Falls police officer was treated and released after being shot while serving a search warrant in a drug investigation. A suspect was arrested and charged.
On April 8, two western Wisconsin police officers were fatally shot during a traffic stop in the Barron County community of Cameron. The assailant, who was the subject of an arrest warrant and a welfare check, was killed during a gunfight with officers from Cameron and Chetek.
On Saturday, a joint funeral was held for the two officers in Cameron, with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers in attendance and a procession of law enforcement vehicles from agencies across the country stretching more than a dozen miles.
Information from the Associated Press was included in this report.
