Missouri Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, who’s acting as governor while Governor Mike Parson is on a European trade mission, is ordering all U.S. and Missouri flags to be flown at half staff through sunset Tuesday evening.
The order applies to all government buildings in Jasper and Newton Counties, and it’s in honor of Joplin Police Corporal Benjamin Lee Cooper.
Cooper and Officer Jake Reed were shot last Tuesday while trying to arrest a man outside of a local shopping center.
Cooper died shortly after being rushed to a local hospital, while Reed died several days later.
Kehoe says “Corporal Cooper’s senseless killing is a reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers willingly face each day to keep us safe, and of the debt we owe them for their courageous service.
Cooper’s public funeral is taking place at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Leggett and Platt Center on the campus of Missouri Southern State University.
A similar order is expected on Friday, when Officer Reed’s funeral takes place at 1:00 p.m. at the Leggett and Platt Center.