Fundraiser started to help family of Fairway officer killed after Mission shooting
Officials have announced a fundraiser to help the family of a Fairway police officer killed after a shooting Sunday at a Mission QuikTrip.
Jonah Oswald, 29, was a four-year veteran of the Fairway Police Department and a husband and father to two young children, said Police Chief J.P. Thurlo. In a statement Monday night, Thurlo said Oswald “made the ultimate sacrifice while carrying out his oath to serve and protect.”
“Officer Oswald was an integral part of our team and made significant contributions to our department and to the Fairway community,” Thurlo said. “We will remember him as a warm-hearted individual whose hard work and passion touched the lives of many.”
The shooting unfolded early Sunday after a police chase that began in Lenexa ended at a QuikTrip at 4700 Lamar Ave. in Mission, just west of Fairway. Officers from area departments responded to assist with reports of a stolen car whose driver allegedly hit a police vehicle and fled.
Two suspects were seen running into the convenience store when officers responded to arrest them. Gunfire erupted, and Oswald was critically injured, while a male suspect — 40-year-old Shannon Wayne Marshall of Ashland, Tennessee — was killed.
Another suspect, Andrea Rene Cochran, 32, of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, was charged Tuesday morning in Johnson County District Court with three felonies and a misdemeanor, including aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, theft and reckless driving.
The Johnson County Officer-Involved Critical Incident Investigation Team, which is comprised of various area law enforcement agencies, is investigating the shooting.
The Buckner Police Department, where Oswald started his career in law enforcement in 2018, also shared their condolences in a statement posted on Facebook.
“We have had many officers come and go from our department, but only one Jonah Oswald,” the department said.
“Some officers say that he was a very optimistic person and didn’t know how to have a bad day. He loved encouraging people to reach their goals in life, and he would always offer help wherever you needed him.”
Anna Spoerre and Bill Lukitsch contributed to this report.
