Today, acting on behalf of Governor Mike Parson, Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe ordered U.S. and Missouri flags be flown at half-staff at all government buildings in Jasper and Newton counties on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, from sunrise to sunset in honor of Joplin Police Corporal Benjamin Lee Cooper.

On March 8, Corporal Cooper was shot and killed after responding to a disturbance call at a shopping center.

“Benjamin Cooper devoted his life to bravely serving and protecting others, first as a soldier, and then as a law enforcement officer,” Lt. Governor Kehoe said. “In over 18 years in law enforcement, he honorably served as a patrolman, investigator, firearms instructor, SWAT officer, field training officer, canine officer, and internal affairs officer. 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.”

"Corporal Cooper served and protected his fellow citizens with honor and dignity," Governor Parson said. "Due to this heinous violence against law enforcement officers, Corporal Cooper's wife is now without a husband and daughters without a father. This must end, and shows why we must always support our Missouri law enforcement officers – who only wish to serve. Our hearts go out to Corporal Cooper's family and friends as they mourn his tragic loss. Teresa and I will be praying for them."

Corporal Cooper served in the U.S. Army from 1995 to 2001. He served in the Joplin Police Department from 2004 to 2008, when he left to serve as a deputy sheriff in Colorado. He returned to the Joplin Police Department in 2013 and was promoted to corporal in 2016.