Group Gives $20K Death Benefit to Family of Slain Minn. Deputy
Source Officer.com News
A group that helps the families of Minnesota first responders killed in the line of duty has given a $20,000 death benefit to the family of a sheriff's deputy who was fatally shot earlier this month.
The Front Line Foundation's donation will go to the wife and son of Pope County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Owen, the organization announced this week. Owen was shot and killed when a gunfight erupted during a domestic call in Cyrus that injured two other law enforcement officers. The shooting happened on Owen's 44th birthday.
“The death of Deputy Owen is a tragic remainder of the sacrifices our first responders face on a daily basis,” Suzanne Holt, the foundation's president and CEO. “We hope that this death benefit will have a positive impact on his family during an incredibly difficult time.”
Owen had been with the Pope County Sheriff's Office for 12 years and had also served in the Army. In March, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the sheriff's office for helping to resuscitate a man who had been pulled from a house fire.
The Front Line Foundation, which began in late 2018, has helped law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and National Guard members across Minnesota by providing financial support to the families of those first responders who have died in the line of duty.The organization's mission is to bridge the gap between the death and benefits being paid, which can help families with ongoing expenses.
