Widow of slain Sheriff's Deputy Josh Owen asks Tim Walz not to attend husband's funeral: 'You have never been a supporter of the police'

Shannon Owen, the widow of Pope County, Minn., Sheriff's Deputy Josh Owen, asked Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, to stay away from her husband's funeral, who was killed in the line of duty. In a phone call reported by The Telegraph, Owen warned the governor that if he attempted to attend, he would be escorted from the premises.

The woman expressed her disapproval of Walz's lack of support for the police, especially in the wake of reforms the governor pushed for and endorsed after the death of felon George Floyd in 2020: "You have never been a supporter of the police and I’d just appreciate it if you just don’t come anywhere near my town."

At the words, Walz responded with a shocked tone, "No, I totally understand and respect your rights. Our officers are here to support you in any way you need." After that, he abruptly ended the call.

Owen frustrated with progressive police reform

Sheriff's Deputy Josh Owen was killed on duty while responding to a domestic violence call. During the arrest, the suspect pulled out a concealed weapon and opened fire, shooting Owen four times. The first bullet was fatal, piercing his heart and both lungs.

Shannon Owen recounted her husband's farewell on the day he was killed. It was 7 p.m. when he left to answer a call for backup. She and her 10-year-old son, Rylan, gave him a hug goodbye. "Thank God we did."

Owen, a National Guard veteran with two years of service in Iraq, had been considering leaving the force before his death, upset about the working conditions. His wife claims he was frustrated with police reforms pushed in Minnesota after the waves of vandalism in Minneapolis in 2020 after the death of Floyd.

Shannon Owen said that Walz had been "disrespecting" the police. She said Josh himself would never have wanted Walz's presence at his funeral, given the resentment he felt toward the governor's policies.

The crisis of confidence in the police

With violent protests carried out by criminals, Minnesota became the epicenter of a crisis over policing and race. The destructive demonstrations that rocked the state in the days following Floyd's death led to a wave of riots and looting.

Walz pushed for reforms after the criminal's death that included banning techniques such as chokeholds, requiring officers to intervene if they saw excessive use of force by fellow officers and creating a database on police misconduct. However, these measures had negative results, leaving the state with high rates of violent crime due to officers being unable to do their jobs effectively.

Minneapolis, once home to one of the largest police forces in the region, has seen a dramatic decline in the number of officers since 2020, with a loss of more than 40% of its staff.

In the past 12 months, five first responders have been killed in Minnesota, including four police officers and one firefighter-EMT. A police chief in Minnesota, who spoke on condition of anonymity, summed up the general sentiment among law enforcement: "[Walz] doesn't have our support."