Benches, bridges pay tribute to fallen Joplin officers

Warmer temperatures over the weekend created a perfect opportunity to view a memorial bench in the parking lot at 405  Geneva Ave. in honor of fallen Joplin officers Corporal Ben Cooper and Jake Reed.

The officers were fatally wounded at that location on March 8, 2022.

The bench was created and paid for in part by Quality Memorials Inc.,  Mount Hope Cemetery and G&H Concrete. It was dedicated in January 2023.

It’s not the only tribute to Cooper and Reed in the city.

Two other benches are located in Murphy Boulevard Park off Campbell Parkway

A bridge on South Range Line Road has been named in honor of Cooper. A separate bridge on 20th street near Joplin High School is named after Reed.

Also the bridge on Connecticut Avenue over I-44 is named after Officer Tim Nielson, who lost his life while on  duty in 2004.