Hundreds Expected To Honor Minnesota's Fallen Officers
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The annual Project Blue Light ceremony will be held Saturday evening in St Paul and will honor Minnesota's fallen law enforcement officers.
Among the speakers will be Maplewood Police Chief David Thomalla. In May of 2010, one of his officers, Joe Bergeron, was killed in the line of duty.
"That was our first officer and hopefully our only officer killed in the line of duty in Maplewood. Joe was a close friend of mine," Thomalla said.
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Bergeron was investigating a report of a carjacking in Maplewood around 6:30 a.m. Saturday May 1, 2010, when police say he stopped two suspects, later identified as 21-year-old Jason John Jones and 21-year-old Joshua Michael Martin, both of St. Paul.
Police said Jones walked up to Bergeron's squad car and shot the officer as he started to get out of the vehicle to question the two men.
"The job of a police officer is very dangerous," Thomalla said.
He says besides remembering, they are also asking Minnesotans to include the color blue in their holidays.
"It encourages people to incorporate blue lights into their holiday decorating in remembrance of officers and military personnel who have given their life in the line of duty," Thomalla said.
The event is free and open to the public. It starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Peace Officers Memorial on the State Capitol grounds in St Paul.
