Minnesota
Minnesota honors 314 fallen officers in solemn St. Paul ceremony
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Families and officers gathered outside the state capitol on Friday to remember and honor Minnesota’s fallen law enforcement officers.
Families honor loved ones killed in the line of duty
What we know:
The Peace Officers Memorial Day event began with a 24-hour vigil Thursday night, where officers from around Minnesota stood guard at the memorial.
The day included moments of silence, the playing of Taps and several wreath-laying ceremonies.
“Every once in a while, something tragic happens and somebody dies in the line of duty,” said Chief Brian Hubbard, president of the Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association, which organized the service.
According to organizers, 314 officers have died in the line of duty in Minnesota.
Behind every name is a family, a story and painful memory.
Tina Arendt of Cold Spring was young when her father, Stearns County Senior Sheriff’s Deputy Edwin Arendt, 61, died in the line of duty in November 1987. On Friday, she laid a wreath in his memory.
“It was just a random accident out in the middle of the country, and he didn’t make it home,” she recalled. “Things I remember about him – he loved his job. He loved being out helping people. There wasn’t a day that he wasn’t proud and honored to wear the badge.”
The event was as much about supporting families as it was about honoring the fallen.
“The main heart behind doing this is to make sure that those family members, those survivors left behind, know that we won’t forget about them,” said Hubbard.
The vigil and service at the memorial
Timeline:
The 24-hour silent vigil began Thursday night and ends Friday night. Officers took turns standing guard at the memorial throughout the day and night.
A St. Cloud Tech ninth-grader won the Minnesota State High School League Clay Shooting championship on Friday.
Allie Lauer won the title with a score of 99 and reverse run of 83, while second-place finisher Isabella Blaz (Rosemount) also scored a 99 but a reverse run of 54. LeRoy-Ostrander’s Kimberly Volkart finished in third place with a score of 98.
MSHSL:
“I was nervous coming in because the other girls are older,” Lauer said. “It was nice weather today and things worked out well. Your average (score) doesn’t really matter. Just keep a good mindset and don’t focus on the scores.”
BOYS CLAY SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIP
Proctor sophomore Lane Graves took home the championship after a grueling three-way, two-round shoot-off against Rushford-Peterson’s Colton Ronnenberg (second place) and Prior Lake’s Jack Benedict.
After Benedict was eliminated in the first shoot-off, Graves outlasted Ronnenberg with a 9-7 win in round two.
TEAM CLAY SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIP
The Bemidji Lumberjacks took the team title with a total score of 487, one ahead of Lakeville South and five better than both Stewartville and Spring Grove.
St. Cloud’s Stanley Cup Champion Nate Schmidt [GALLERY]
Former St. Cloud Cathedral and University of Minnesota standout Nate Schmidt will bring the Stanley Cup to St. Cloud on August 25th. Here’s a look at his career through photos.
REDWOOD FALLS
— The 64-year-old Redwood Falls man
killed in a rollover crash Saturday in Redwood County
was fleeing police in his vehicle at the time, according to information from the Redwood County Sheriff’s Office.
Francis Albert Rohlik was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash at approximately 7:22 p.m. on June 27. He was northbound on Redwood County Road 7 north of
Belview
when his vehicle left the roadway and rolled at the intersection with 400th Street in Kintire Township, according to
an accident report
by the
Minnesota State Patrol.
Rohlik was not wearing a seat belt, the State Patrol reported. According to the Redwood County Sheriff’s Office, he was ejected from the vehicle during the crash.
Shortly before the crash, at approximately 7:19 p.m. Saturday, law enforcement officers attempted to stop his vehicle for traffic violations on County Road 7 near Belview. The driver accelerated away from deputies and a brief pursuit ensued. After approximately three miles, the vehicle lost control and rolled over near the intersection with 400th Street, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies immediately administered medical aid to the driver. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Rohlik was the only occupant in the vehicle.
Assisting agencies included the Minnesota State Patrol, the Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office, Belview Fire Department, Belview First Responders, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, CentraCare Ambulance, and North Memorial AirCare. The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating the crash.
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