Several deputies from the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office flew to Gilbert, Arizona for Gila River Police Officer Josh Briese's funeral this morning, including Captain Kent O'Donnell.
O'Donnell had worked with Briese's father, David, a Yellowstone County Sheriff's Deputy who was killed in the line of duty in Billings in 2006. It was then when O'Donnell took David's sons, Josh and Justin, under his wing.
"To a certain extent, it was reliving this over 18 years later from the time Deputy Briese died, till now when his son passed away here in Arizona. Just something you never would have imagined. Can't imagine how, why, but here we are 18 years later. I will say I have the honor to attend Josh Briese's service," O'Donnell said over Zoom Saturday.
He said this morning's funeral was very somber and subdued with over 1,500 law enforcement officers from across the nation paying their respects.
"One of the positives of all is that I've got to spend the last couple of days with Justin, Josh's older brother. We have plans to be with him tonight and he's going to make it to Montana with Josh to help us lay him to rest," said O'Donnell.
O'Donnell said that Briese will be flown to Billings Monday. The family and the sheriff's office are working with Dahl Funeral Home for a small service. A procession will occur on Wednesday morning at MetraPark's pavilion between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
The procession will care Briese to his father's hometown of Rockvale, where he will be buried next to his father.
