This afternoon, the city of Joplin and the Joplin Police Department will hold the first of two funerals for police officers killed in the line of duty last week. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

Yesterday, a public visitation was held for Joplin Police Corporal Ben Cooper at the Leggett and Platt Center on the campus of Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. A public service for Cooper will be held later today, starting at 1 pm, at the Leggett and Platt Center. A public procession will make its way through downtown Joplin between 3 and 4 this afternoon for those wanting to pay their respects to Corporal Cooper or Officer Jake Reed, who was also killed in last Tuesday’s attack.

Public visitation for Officer Reed will be held from 4 pm to 8 pm on Thursday, March 17, 2022, at the Leggett and Platt Center. A public funeral service for Officer Reed will take place this Friday. Due to the events, Duquesne Road between Newman Road and Tall Grass Drive in Joplin will be closed from 10 am to 6 pm today. A third officer, Rick Hirshey, was also shot and is recovering from his injuries.