KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is helping cover calls for the Fairway Police Department as officers mourn the death of Ofc. Jonah Oswald.
Sgt. Jesse Valdez, with Johnson County, said the sheriff’s office is prepared to provide assistance “as long as Fairway needs us.”
“And that just depends on when … the men and women of the PD are back to feeling like they’re ready to go back to work,” Valdez said. “We’re going to do this at least until Friday, and then we will reassess and see if they need us to be there more — and we will be.”
Valdez said the assistance includes answering calls for service, uniform coverage, investigative support and peer support.
With Fairway being a smaller department, Valdez said the sheriff’s office has always provided assistance. But at this time, they’re providing extra coverage.
“It's something that we do for each other. It's the brotherhood-sisterhood that we have,” Valdez said. “When they ask for help, we give them that help. And we definitely want to make sure that the city of Fairway knows that they have law enforcement here [and] that their tight-knit community is continued to be patrolled and safe.”
In addition to the sheriff’s office, Valdez said agencies from across the metro — “there are just too many to name”— are offering love and support to the hero who died tragically.
“It's important. It’s a visual reminder of what we do, why we do,” Valdez said. “It humbles us.”
Until Oswald is laid to rest, a 24-hour guard will keep watch over the officer.
—
