‘Jonah’s heart radiated’: Hundreds mourn fallen Fairway police officer at vigil, parade
Fairway Police Chief J.P. Thurlo remembered fallen Officer Jonah Oswald as a loving and “super smart” member of the small suburban department as he spoke to a crowd gathered Saturday night in Harmon Park.
“Jonah’s heart radiated. And it radiated through his badge,” Thurlo said.
He went on to praise the bravery of Oswald, who was fatally shot last Sunday when a police chase turned into a shootout at a Johnson County convenience store. The death of the four-year veteran reverberated far beyond city of about 4,000 residents, attracting hundreds to a parade and candlelight vigil honoring Oswald and his family.
Thurlo repeatedly referenced the “very small” community of Fairway where, he said, the residents and police force see themselves as one. The city had never had an officer killed on duty before Oswald.
“We really all love each other,” he said, standing in front of doors that had been removed from a patrol vehicle Oswald had been in about a month ago when it was struck by a suspect following a chase. That suspect had rammed into Oswald’s vehicle three times.
Also on display was the vehicle that Oswald had been in a week ago.
That incident stuck in the minds of those who had gathered in Harmon Park, many of whom appeared emotional despite not knowing Oswald or being from Fairway.
Katie Sammon said for family and friends of people in law enforcement, Oswald’s death is a stark reminder of the sacrifices that come with a police career.
“It’s a calling ... And so when you make that commitment you have to just honor and love them anyway that you can,” she said, standing next to her husband of 20 years, a North Kansas City police officer.
Her two young children sat by her feet. They had come from the parade, which began near Shamrock Towers at 9300 Metcalf Ave. around 7:30 p.m., and watched the stream of police vehicles that ended up at Harmon Park in Prairie Village about an hour later.
Sammon said the children understood the event was commemorating an officer who had taken risks like those presented to their own father, who also drove a patrol car in the parade. They had witnessed similar events after a North Kansas City officer, Daniel Vasquez, was killed in a shooting last year.
“They know the risks, but they outweigh the rewards,” she said, looking around at the large crowd of people bowing their heads and holding candles above their heads.
“It never surprises me but it always touches me to see how many people come out for these things to support each other.”
‘It’s emotional’
Miranda Lawson, 32, struggled to hold back tears watching the procession of police and emergency vehicles with her young, curly-haired brood. She looked out at the sea of red and blue lights, clutching a picnic blanket, stunned by the number of people in mourning.
“It’s emotional,” she said, wiping her eyes. “Really puts the job in perspective.”
The five-year veteran of the University of Kansas Medical Center Police said that while she has taken part in other parades for fallen officers, Oswald’s hit close to home.
“Fairway’s really close to KU. We have buildings out there that we patrol as well. They’re close neighbors, which makes it hard,” she said.
Her children were still learning about the sacrifices that come with a career in law enforcement when Oswald was killed.
She and her husband Zachary Lawson had purchased children’s books for their kids explaining the work of police officers and firefighters.
Her young son sought to understand what the parade was meant to be celebrating. She said it was not the first police funeral he had attended.
“He had asked me what was that all for,” Lawson said.
After explaining that an officer had been shot and killed, she said her son appeared shocked. He wondered: “Who would do that?”
“Then I started to cry... I said there are bad people out there.”
While Lawson said she loves her job and finds it rewarding, Oswald’s death has prompted many difficult conversations about the dangers of her work with fellow officers and family.
“It’s all mixed feelings,” Zachary Lawson said. “It’s just a part of daily dinner table talk.”
The fatal shooting
Oswald, a 29-year-old husband and father of two young children, previously worked with the Buckner Police Department, where officers remembered him for his lighthearted and optimistic personality.
He joined the Fairway police as part of a small “hand-selected” group, according to Thurlo. The department has fewer than 10 officers.
Thurlo said Oswald would often stroll by his office and playfully request more tasks to keep him busy. If he had seen the Saturday parade, Thurlo said, Oswald would have thought it was “very cool” and made jokes about the people who had arrived holding their signs upside down.
“If anything happened we’d want Jonah to show up,” said Kenneth Johnson, a friend and member of the Fairway police.
Last Sunday morning, Oswald was among the officers responding to a situation that began with a stolen vehicle report with two suspects, a man and woman. Lenexa police chased the stolen SUV, whose driver allegedly rammed a patrol vehicle, until the suspects bailed out and ran into the Mission QuikTrip at 4700 Lamar Ave.
Authorities have said Oswald was critically wounded during an exchange of gunfire and died in the hospital Monday. Killed at the scene was one suspect in the auto theft, identified by police as 40-year-old Shannon Wayne Marshall, of Ashland City, Tennessee.
The other suspect, 32-year-old Andrea Rene Cothran of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, was ordered held on a $1 million bond in the Johnson County jail last week. Prosecutors charged her with four felonies, including aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer.
As of Saturday, Cothran faced no criminal charges in Oswald’s death. District Attorney Steve Howe said his office was evaluating the circumstances to determine whether additional charges should be brought.
The Star’s Bill Lukitsch contributed to this report.
This story was originally published August 13, 2023 at 12:25 AM.
