FAIRWAY, Kan. — It’s been 57 days since Fairway Officer Jonah Oswald was shot and killed. Since then, the Fairway community has shown up for the eight-member police department.

“Jonah was a very brave officer, and there was never a time that he shied away from any of the danger,” Lt. Mandi Bayless with the Fairway Police Department said.

Bayless is an 8-year veteran of Fairway police and trained Oswald when he started 4 years ago.

“It was really difficult time for the police department. We are small, so we know each other really well. We’re close,” Bayless said.

But it’s the strength of this small community — made up of just over 4,000 people – that’s allowed these officers to lean on them as they go through some of the most trying times they’ve ever faced.

“We just want to express gratitude to our community. They’ve been here and supported us through the most difficult time that I’ve ever had and our department has ever had,” Bayless said.  

On Wednesday, the team at Hen House, which is the only grocery store in Fairway, set up a box for people to share their continued love and support for the department. 

“So that everyone can express in their on way what they want to say to these officers and help them get through this,” said Kathy Scott, store director at the Hen House.

Bayless showed up Wednesday to let their community know they appreciate all of the support that has come their way and remember what made Oswald so special.

“His one thing that will always stick with me: He watched ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ and when things would get awkward, he would just stand there and go ‘Big gulps, aye,'” Bayless said.

The Fairway officer said not only are they grateful for their community – but also to the local law enforcement and people in the Kansas City metro who stepped up to help them in some form in the days and weeks after Oswlad died.