JOPLIN, Mo. — The latest bridge in Joplin to bear the name of a fallen Joplin police officer will be officially dedicated this week.
On Friday afternoon, the bridge over the “Kansas City Southern Railroad” on South Range Line Road will become the “Corporal Ben Cooper Memorial Bridge.”
The dedication ceremony starts at 3:00 p.m.
Public parking will be available in the nearby “Derailed Commodity” parking lot.
Cooper, of course, lost his life while on duty following a shooting on March 8 of last year – as did Officer Jake Reed.
His name is now forever attached to the 20th Street Bridge near Joplin High School.
Two weeks ago, a dedication ceremony took place for Officer Tim Nielson at the South Connecticut Avenue Bridge over I-44. He lost his life while on duty in 2004.
