Governor orders flags at Half-Staff to Honor Fallen Sikeston Officer Henry J.R. Franklin
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., (KBSI) — Gov. Mike Kehoe has ordered U.S. and Missouri flags to be flown at half-staff Saturday, Oct. 11, in honor of Sikeston Department of Public Safety Officer Henry J.R. Franklin.
Flags will be lowered from sunrise to sunset at all government buildings in Scott, New Madrid and Mississippi counties; at all police stations, sheriffs’ offices; and at Missouri State Highway Patrol general and troop headquarters across the state.
“Officer Franklin devoted his life to courageously serving and protecting others, including nearly 20 years in the military, with two tours in Iraq, and over 12 years of service to the City of Sikeston,” Kehoe said. “He will be remembered for bravely confronting violence and making the ultimate sacrifice so his fellow Missourians could live safer and more secure lives. Claudia and I are keeping his family, members of the Sikeston DPS, and all who loved him in our prayers.”
On Oct. 6, Franklin was deployed as a member of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team to assist the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office in the apprehension of a homicide suspect. During the operation, the suspect—concealed inside a residence—opened fire, fatally wounding Franklin.
Franklin served in the U.S. Army from March 2002 to February 2013 and later in the Missouri Army National Guard from November 2013 to August 2022, rising to the rank of sergeant. He completed two tours in Iraq and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.
He earned his Missouri Peace Officer License after graduating from the Southeast Missouri State Law Enforcement Training Academy in 2013 and joined the Sikeston Department of Public Safety shortly thereafter. Franklin served with distinction as a K9 handler and a member of the department’s SWAT team.
Flags will also be flown at half-staff on the day of Officer Franklin’s memorial service.
