Fallen Minnesota Law Officer Laid to Rest
Wayzata, MN (KROC-AM News) - Representatives of the Rochester Police and Olmsted County Sheriff's Departments were among the thousands of law enforcement officers from throughout Minnesota and surrounding states who gathered this morning to honor a fellow law officer who recently lost his life in the line of duty. They were on hand for the funeral of Wayzata Police Officer Bill Matthews at a church in Plymouth.
State Patrol enters outside overflow area for funeral of #OfficerMathews pic.twitter.com/UPGkULCZIU
— MNN Newsroom (@news_MNN) September 14, 2017
The memorial service was followed by two processions to a Wayzata cemetery where the former Pine Island man was laid to rest. The first procession was filled by the hundreds of police cars and other public safety vehicles that were driven to the Twin Cities for today’s funeral. The second procession was limited to Wayzata Police and Fire Department vehicles, the family of Officer Matthews, and the horse drawn caisson carrying the fallen officer.
He was killed last Friday when he was struck by a vehicle driven by an impaired motorists. 54-year-old Beth Freeman has been charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide for allegedly driving under the influence of drugs and using a cell phone.
Officer Matthews was a graduate of Pine Island the High School. He also attended RCTC and Winona State University prior to starting his law enforcement career. In his early years as a law enforcement officer, Matthews was an intern for the Rochester Police Department and worked part-time for the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Department.