POPE COUNTY, Minn. — One week after Deputy Joshua Owen was killed in the line of duty, family, friends, fellow law enforcement and the Pope County community will pay their respects before laying the fallen officer to rest.

Before his funeral on Saturday, the public is invited to a visitation on Friday, April 21 from 4-8 p.m. at Minnewaska Area High School in Glenwood, Minnesota. A second visitation will run from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday before the funeral service begins at 10:30, also at the high school.

KARE 11 will carry the funeral service for Deputy Owen live starting at 10:30 a.m. on kare11.com, the KARE 11 mobile app, the KARE 11 YouTube page and streaming on the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV devices.

Following the funeral service, a local law enforcement procession will escort Deputy Owen and his family from Minnewaska High School to a private ceremony at the cemetery. According to the Pope County Sheriff’s Office, a second procession of hundreds of law enforcement and first responder partner agencies will follow the same route.

In the days since his death, Deputy Owen has been remembered as a loving husband and father, a dedicated law enforcement officer and a pillar of his community with “a heart as big as his stature.”

“Josh and I were together for 18 years, the last twelve of which were right here in Pope County, where we put down our family’s roots,” his wife Shannon said in a statement, which was read on her behalf Thursday by a cousin.

“Josh was such an incredible man and such a devoted father to Rylan. He was selfless and would help anyone who asked, and he sought out those who haven’t even asked yet,” she said.

Deputy Owen was shot and killed on Saturday, April 15 while responding to a domestic situation in the Pope County community of Cyrus. He was 44 years old, and died on his birthday. 

An officer from Starbuck, Minnesota was hurt in the shooting but not hospitalized, and another deputy from the Pope County Sheriff’s Office was shot but treated and released from the hospital.

The man officers were trying to arrest was wounded in the exchange of gunfire and declared dead at the scene.

Josh’s father Dan Owen, who himself spent decades in law enforcement, said the job was the perfect fit for his son.

“It was a tragic end but wouldn’t change a thing,” Dan Owen shared. “He was cut from granite for this line of work.”

Scott Kowski met Owen while serving in the Minnesota National Guard, and the pair spent 22 months straight together in 2005-2007 while deployed to Iraq.

“Josh was one of those guys that had that humor, attitude. He always had a smile on his face. No matter what we were doing, he always would chuckle.”

Those looking to make a donation in Deputy Owen’s memory are encouraged to contribute to one of the following funds, where all proceeds will go directly toward his family:

1. The Josh Owen Memorial Fund at Glenwood State Bank, 5 Minnesota Ave West, Glenwood, MN 56334 (Administered by Peter Nelson 320-634-5111)
2. The Josh Owen Memorial Fund at Eagle Bank, 2 Franklin Street South, Glenwood, MN 56334 (Administered by Matt Daniels 320-634-4545)

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