April 21, 2023

Dear John:

Over the weekend, while responding to a domestic violence call, Deputy Sheriff Josh Owen of Pope County was tragically shot and killed. It was his 44th birthday.

Deputy Owen spent nearly twelve years with the Sheriff’s Office and recently received a "Distinguished Service Award". He was also a military veteran, serving with the Minnesota National Guard and deploying to Iraq for 22 months. He leaves behind a wife and a son.

This is a devastating, heartbreaking reminder that our men and women in law enforcement put their communities above all else every single day. I am praying for Josh Owen’s family and for the whole Pope County community as they mourn the loss of a local hero.

This week, Members of the Minnesota delegation joined me on the House Floor in a moment of silence to honor the fallen Deputy Sheriff. While we can never truly do enough to memorialize him, our prayers continue to be with his family and community.