Listen: Last radio call sounds for fallen Fairway Officer Jonah Oswald
FAIRWAY, Kan. — The Kansas City area gathered Monday to remember a fallen Fairway, Kansas, officer killed in the line of duty.
Officer Jonah Oswald’s funeral service was held Monday morning at Westside Family Church in Lenexa. He was killed after a shootout with two suspects earlier this month.
REPLAY: Funeral held for Fairway Officer Jonah Oswald
After his funeral service, a dispatcher shared the last call for Oswald over Johnson County dispatch, marking his end of watch. The last call is a law enforcement tradition for fallen officers.
Listen to the entire radio call in the audio player below, via Broadcastify.
“Calling 25-21, calling Officer Oswald. All units be advised, Officer Jonah Oswald served his community and country with pride, excellence, honor and bravery. On Aug. 7, 2023, while apprehending a suspect, Officer Oswald made the ultimate sacrifice,” the dispatcher said.
“Officer Oswald was a bright light of humor and genuine kindness. His courageous nature and eager spirit will be greatly missed.
“Thank you for your service, Officer Oswald. You may be gone, but you will not be forgotten. Officer Oswald, you are clear and out of service. Rest easy, my friend. We have the watch from here.”
Hundreds pack a Lenexa church for the funeral service for fallen Fairway Officer Jonah Oswald on Aug. 14, 2023. A photo of Fairway Officer Jonah Oswald sits on a table with his ashes and an American flag at the fallen officer’s funeral on Aug. 14, 2023. Crews hold an American flag over the entrance to the funeral for fallen Fairway Officer Jonah Oswald on Aug. 14, 2023.
On Aug. 6, Oswald joined a pursuit of two suspects that began in Lenexa for a stolen car that struck a police car. It ended in Mission at a QuikTrip.
Gunfire was exchanged, killing one of the suspects and critically injuring Oswald. He died the next day from his injuries at the University of Kansas Health System.
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Andrea Rene Cothran, 32 of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, has been charged in connection to the incident. Right now, Cothran isn’t being charged in Oswald’s death, but Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said that could change.
Oswald had been a Fairway officer for just four years. He leaves behind a wife and two children.
On Saturday evening, the public held a tribute during the Parade of Blue, which saw dozens of police cruisers and other first responders drive through Johnson County while mourners from the community watched from the sidewalks. Oswald’s visitation was held Sunday.
He was remembered as a lively person who wanted to live life to the fullest, according to his obituary.
“He was talented and driven to succeed in everything he did – and if you know him personally, you’ll know that’s not being said in the cliché way as it often is. He obsessed over his passions,” his wife wrote in his obituary.
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Friends remembered Oswald for his dedication to his career and his family.
“He was the epitome of what a true law enforcement officer would be – devoted, a devoted father and husband willing to help his community,” said Robert Paul, a friend of Oswald’s. “(He) stepped into church, willing to be there on Sundays just to lend a hand. I think he was bigger than life itself.”
Family and friends described Oswald as an outstanding husband with a passion for his job and serving others.
“There are no words to describe his love for his family – blood and blue,” his wife wrote. “But he was made specifically for both. He was made to lay down his life for his family – and he did.”
