‘My Dad is with you:’ Family, coworkers honor slain Overland Park police officer
Overland Park police officer Mike Mosher was a cop’s cop whose mission was to change the way people looked at police officers, his daughter, Tyler Mosher, said.
“He did this by doing the right thing, even with no one watching,” Tyler said during her father’s funeral service Wednesday morning.
Family, friends and coworkers gathered at the Overland Park Convention Center to honor the 14 1/2-year veteran of the Overland Park Police Department, who died in a shootout with a suspect on May 3. The suspect, 38-year-old Philip Carney, also died in the altercation.
“My father was not two-sided. He was not just a badge,” Tyler said. “He was a person. Who he was at work was the same person who he was at home, on the road or anywhere.”
He had his likes — The Kansas City Chiefs — and dislikes — traffic and definitely spiders.
“If there’s a spider in the house, Mom gets it,” Tyler said.
Tyler wanted to make it clear to everyone that her dad is not gone — he’s just not here.
“His walking, talking body might not be here, but what made him ‘Mike’ and what made him loving and selfless is still here,” she said. “He is still watching over all the police officers, all the fire and EMS.
“So to all of the police officers, wherever you are, my dad is with you. My dad will be sitting next to you at roll call.”
She had a similar message to firefighters, emergency medical workers and doctors. She then addressed the citizens of Overland Park.
“My dad is with you. He is watching over you and making sure you are safe because he risked his life and gave his life to protect you,” Tyler said. “And he’d do it all over again.”
Mosher is the second Overland Park Police officer to die in the line of duty. The first, Officer Deanna Rose, died in 1985 after the driver of a vehicle she pulled over on suspicion of intoxication ran her over.
The funeral service was the culmination of three days of events honoring him. Following the service was a walking funeral procession that included a police motorcade escort of a horse-drawn glass case hearse and riderless horse to Johnson County Funeral Chapel and Memorial Gardens where a private graveside service was held for family and friends.
“Officer Mike Mosher died doing what he loved,” Overland Park Police Chief Frank Donchez said. “Being a police officer is all he ever wanted to do and he did it well.”
He did it with passion and a selfless spirit that transcended the uniform he wore, Donchez said. Mosher was a giver to his family, fellow officers, to those in need and to the citizens he was sworn to protect.
Donchez thanked Mosher’s family on behalf of the Overland Park Police Department for sharing him with them.
“His memory will live on within his Overland Park police family,” he said. “And I could not be prouder to have had the honor to serve with him and learn from him. May God bless and keep you until you are reunited with him in eternity.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 3:35 PM.
