Hundreds pay respects to fallen Cameron officer at Belton service

Killeen Daily Herald
BY JOEL VALLEY | TELEGRAM STAFF
May 17, 2023

BELTON — Hundreds of Central Texas residents spent their Wednesday afternoon at the Bell County Expo Center to honor Cameron Police Sgt. Josh Clouse — an officer who was killed in the line of duty last week in a shootout for a domestic violence suspect on the 700 block of East Seventh Street in Cameron.

He was 39 years old.

The funeral procession started at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Marek-Burns-Laywell Funeral Home in Cameron where his body was then escorted through Buckholts, Rogers and Little River-Academy before it arrived at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton for a funeral service.

First responders from countless agencies, including the Milam County Sheriff’s Office, the Cameron Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety, could be seen flashing their ‘red and blues’ as they proceeded along that route.

“Josh and I have had lots of conversations and he said, ‘I want my funeral one day to be about Jesus,’” Brad Dussenberry, Clouse’s pastor at Harvest Bible Church in Rockdale, said. “So we’re going to honor him with his wishes. Let’s worship.”

During the service, he reflected on when he broke the sad news to Clouse’s sons, Jonathon and Jordan.

“Let me tell you about Josh. The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Dussenberry said. “Stephanie, (his wife), had me go over to tell the boys about what happened. Josh adored those boys. I explained to the boys what had happened — that their daddy had been shot and he had gone home to be with Jesus. Of course, they cried. The first thing Jonathon said was, ‘I am so thankful to have had him for a daddy for 18 years.’”

He noted another conversation he had with Clouse.

“We’re going through a crazy time right now in America. Mass shootings and killings everywhere. Josh and I had discussed that, too,” Dussenberry said. “We could look at all the shootings and all that is going on and we can blame it on video games, we can blame it on guns and we can blame it on there’s no fathers in the homes anymore. But I’m here to tell you, until the hearts of men are changed, it won’t stop.”

Samantha Knight, a family friend, was among the many others who reflected on Clouse and the love he had for his wife, Stephanie, his sons, and his community.

“Over the last two decades, they built and cultivated a beautiful relationship and family,” she said in a Facebook post. “It has been wonderful to see the outpouring of love and the testimony of how Josh Clouse’s heart has touched so many. I recently read moving words that said, ‘If you live your life well, you will leave a hole behind when you pass because nothing can replace the love you shared and the impact you had on others.’”

Mckaylee Knight, another family friend, shared that sentiment.

“I’m close with his son Jonathon Clouse — he is like a brother to me,” she said. “I can look at him and know he was raised right by a strong mother and father. He is so caring and willing to help anyone if they are in need of help. I didn’t know his dad personally but if he’s just like his son then I can say he was a good man.”

Last Friday, U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza honored Clouse, a U.S. Army Veteran, as part of National Police Week.

“The loss of Sgt. Clouse is a difficult reminder of why we recognize Police Week and I extend my deepest sympathies to his family, friends and those who served by his side,” he said in a news release. “We are grateful for his service and sacrifice in protecting his community. His memory should be forever honored.”