KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The family of fallen Overland Park Police Officer Mike Mosher spoke for the first time on camera about the man they call a hero.
His wife and daughter said Mosher cared for everyone, and put that care into action.
“Mike loved to serve, and that came out in his entire life, including in the two-year mission that he served for our church,” Corrine Mosher, his wife, said. “He just wasn’t selfish.”
Corrine said while Mosher wanted to come home at night, he was just as concerned for his colleagues' safety.
"He wanted to be able to come home every night. He also wanted to bring home his brothers and sisters home too, to their families," Corrine said.
And that is what led him to make the ultimate sacrifice, his wife said.
"In the end, he gave his life to protect the community. To stop the situation that was probably going to end up much, much worse and that's what he was willing to die for," Corrine said.
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Mosher's daughter, Tyler, said she loved going with her dad to some of the charitable events he was involved with.
Tyler said her father "always wanted to help people, no matter where or how," and that's how she wants him to be remembered.
"I want him to be remembered as a good police officer who took it to the ultimate sacrifice," Tyler said. "He did everything that he could. I want him to be remembered by people doing community service, and doing all the things that he would do."
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She said she believes Mosher is still around, even if she can't see him.
"He is still with us," Tyler said. "I told police officers... to leave an empty seat at roll call every night because my dad will sit there. He will be in the patrol car, he still will be making jokes and talking to the prisoners. He will still be doing all that stuff. You just won't be able to see him."
Watch Corrine and Tyler's interview below.
Mosher's parents, Scott and Shellee, also spoke in a video release Sunday. They urged others to "be like Mike."
Mosher’s mother, Shellee, said she knew her son “was in a better place” when they received the death notification.
“I knew he made a conscious decision to protect somebody else,” Shellee said. “He make the ultimate sacrifice, and he made it by choice to protect somebody.”
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Mosher’s father, Scott, also was a police officer. He said his son loved the job.
“He passed away doing something that he loved to do and he would have had it no other way,” Scott said. “He was always the kind of person to step up. If there was something that needed to be done, he’d step up. If there was something that was tougher for other people, he’d step up."
Shellee said she hopes others will draw inspiration from the way Mosher lived his life.
"Be like Mike. Do the right thing. Stop to play basketball with a little child. Do a silly dance," Shellee said. "He loved. He just loved to be with people."
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His parents said they are "grateful for the time we had with him instead of bitter for the time we didn’t."
Watch Scott and Shellee's interview below.
Corrine shared similar sentiments.
"We’re grateful that we had the time with him. Because he taught us how to live, how we should be, and he left us making sure we would be just fine,” Corrine said.
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