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Corporal

Benjamin Lee Cooper

Joplin Police Department — Joplin, MO

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch March 8, 2022

Age 46

Tour of Duty 19 yrs

The Vigil Panel 179 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 20

Incident

Corporal Ben Cooper and Police Officer Jake Reed were shot and killed after responding to a disturbance call at a shopping center in the 400 block of Geneva Avenue at about 1:20 pm.

While they attempted to take a subject into custody the man opened fire on them, critically wounding both. The man then stole one of their service weapons and a patrol car. He continued firing at pursuing officers until crashing near the intersection of E 9th Street and Connecticut Avenue.

The man then took cover behind a van and opened fire on a third officer who was still inside of his cruiser, severely wounding him. The man continued shooting at other responding officers until being fatally wounded by return fire.

Corporal Cooper was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Officer Reed remained on life support until his organs were donated on March 11th, 2022.

Corporal Cooper was a U.S Army veteran and had served 19 years in law enforcement, beginning his career with the Joplin Police Department in 2003 and returning in 2016. He had served as a sheriff's deputy in Colorado between 2003 and 2016.

Survivors

Corporal Cooper is survived by his wife and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-2DA8706B
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Corporal Cooper gave the Joplin Police Department 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the Joplin community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Joplin Police Department

Location Joplin, MO

Platform Identity jpd.jasper.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 8, 2022

Tour of Duty 19 yrs

Age 46

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Not available

Offender Shot and killed

Military Service

Benjamin Lee Cooper served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Corporal Benjamin Lee Cooper is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 9.3 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Joplin Police Department, 17 of 21 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 81% of this agency's fallen.

Joplin Police Department

of 21 officers

81% Felonious

MO — Statewide

516

of 813 officers

63.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious