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The Minneapolis Police Honor Guard and Color Guard also honors officers from other police departments across the nation. This photograph shows then Honor Guard members Sgt. Tomma Freundschuh, Officers Ken Tidgwell, Jen Merrill, Laura Rose Turner, Cory Fitch (Color Guard member) in New York City honoring fallen NYPD Officers Ramos and Liu on December 21, 2014. They are shown near the hearse.

Photograph courtesy of the Minneapolis Police Museum

Appointed – June 14, 1956

End of Watch – September 30, 1972

Lieutenant Inno H Suek was shot and killed during a hold-up on September 30, 1972, at Hum’s Liquor Store at 2126 Lyndale Avenue South.

The suspects entered the store around closing time at 10:00 p.m. There were several customers and employees in the store at the time. One of the suspects walked up behind Lieutenant Suek and pointed a pistol at his head, according to witnesses.

Lieutenant Suek attempted to gain possession of the weapon and was shot once in the chest during the struggle.

Lieutenant Suek was pronounced dead at the scene.

Lieutenant Suek was 41 years old and had served in the Minneapolis Police Department for 16 years. He was buried at Fort Snelling National Ceremony. Lieutenant Suek was survived by his wife, Rita (who passed in 2011) and their three sons Peter, Tom and John, and their daughter, Peggy.

Appointed – January 1, 1948

End of Watch – May 11, 1959

Sergeant William Herkal was shot and killed while responding to a robbery at the Red Owl grocery store on East Lake Street.

The manager had hit the alarm button and another employee in the back called the police. Two detectives arrived first and were able to grab the suspects. However, one of the men broke free and exchanged shots with a detective. As the man ran out of the door he encountered Sergeant Herkal, who was just arriving. He shot Sergeant Herkal three times with a .38 caliber revolver before being shot and wounded by another officer with a riot gun. The other suspect was taken into custody inside the store.

Sergeant Herkal’s killer was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on June 10, 1959. The other suspect was convicted of third degree murder.

Sergeant Herkal’s funeral services were held on Thursday, May 14, 1959 at the Church of St Helena.  A service was also held at the McDevitt Hauge Chapel.  Sergeant Herkal had served four years in the Navy before joining the Minneapolis Police Department and so was buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.  

Sergeant Herbal was 35 years old at the time of his death.  He was survived by his wife, Marie; their two sons, Steven, 8, and Charles, 7; their two daughters Judy, 12, and Susan, 2; his mother; and his two sisters. 

End of Watch July 1, 1995

Officer Moen was a long-time member of the Minneapolis Police Department having served for 25 years. He was known as a valiant man who was always keen to help other officers.

In 1994, Officer Moen received the Medal of Honor for his courageous conduct in a shootout.

On July 1, 1995, Officer Moen suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after he subdued a suspect in a domestic disturbance. Officer Moen collapsed when he attempted to stop one of the men from attacking another officer.

On the day of Officer Moen’s funeral, hundreds of police officers marched down Minnehaha Avenue South to the McDivitt Hauge Funeral Home to honor his memory. His partner, Officer Kim Muellner, spoke of his generosity and giving nature in her eulogy.

Officer Moen was survived by his wife, Tammy, his son, Robert, and his mother, Gladys.

Appointed – March 25, 1996

End of Watch – August 1, 2002

Officer Melissa Schmidt was shot and killed after she and her partner responded to a call shortly after 7:00 pm reporting a woman with a gun at the Horn Towers public housing complex.

Officer Schmidt questioned and searched the suspect who said that she needed to go to the bathroom.  Officer Schmidt escorted the woman to the public restroom in the lobby of the building. While in the restroom, the suspect produced a handgun she had concealed within her body and opened fire, striking Officer Schmidt in the abdomen below her vest. Officer Schmidt was able to return fire.  She fatally wounded the suspect and held her position until other officers arrived on the scene.

Officer Schmidt died after surgery at Hennepin County Medical Center later that night.  

She was buried in her hometown of Bloomer, WI.  More than 800 police officers and emergency workers from across America attended.  More than 400 of them travelled by squad car and motorcycle from Minneapolis to pay their respects.

Officer Schmidt was a high school basketball star in Bloomer and worked as an EMT there after high school.  She served with the United States Marine Corps in Iwakuni, Japan, in the U.S. Foreign Interests Section in Havana, Cuba, as a Marine Security Guard, and as an officer in the Bloomer Police Department.

Officer Schmidt served with the Minneapolis Police Department for six years and six months and was assigned to the Public Housing Unit.  Before joining the Public Housing Unit, Officer Schmidt worked for two years with deaf and hearing-impaired people to help them understand how to protect themselves.

Officer Schmidt is survived by her parents, Steve and Carole Schmidt of Bloomer, and an older brother, Chris.

Photograph courtesy of ODMP

Appointed – April 14, 1904
End of Watch – May 31, 1916

Officer Nels C Anderson was dispatched to 2004-24th Avenue South on May 27, 1916, to respond to a domestic dispute in which a husband, armed with a pistol, had threatened his wife and children and then pursued his wife from their home to a drugstore at 2401 Franklin Avenue where he shot and killed her. 

The husband then ran back from the drugstore to his home and barricaded himself inside. When Officer Anderson arrived at the home, he ordered the husband to surrender and the husband fired two shots striking Officer Anderson.  Officer Anderson was taken to City Hospital where he died four days later.

Officer Anderson was survived by his wife and three children: Eleanor, 19; George, 17; and Elsie, 14.  Mrs. Anderson was the first widow to receive benefits from the Minneapolis Police Mutual Association. 

Officer Anderson was 50 years old and had been with the department since 1904.  At the time of his death, he was a motorcycle patrolman and was going to soon be promoted to sergeant. 

Officer Anderson’s funeral was held Saturday, June 7, at St. Paul’s Swedish Lutheran Church and he was buried at Lakewood Cemetery.