In each episode of the Officer Down Memorial Podcast, Sheriff Scott Rose shares the stories of how these men and women heroically lost their lives in the Line of Duty. This podcasts gives you a glimpse of what law enforcement officers and their families go through every day to help keep our communities safe. These stories take you back in time to the era and the community where we lost these heroes. You'll feel like you were there when we lost these officers.   These stories are real and raw. Our mission is to ensure their sacrifice is never forgotten, and to show how our men and women who serve in law enforcement are true heroes every day they put on the badge. These podcasts are produced in a story telling format sharing these officer's stories based on input from the men and women who served with them and the families who were left behind. Older stories are written using historical documents and newspaper records. The goal of this program is to honor these fallen heroes, to remember their service, to always support the families they left behind, and to never forget their sacrifice.    (This trailer uses tracks from multiple episodes of the podcast to give you a brief sampling of what to expect when you dive into this podcast and these episodes.  Learn more about the podcast at www.officerdownmemorialpodcast.com) * CONTENT WARNING * Some of these stories contain strong language and violent adult content, which may be upsetting to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

MURDERS IN MORRISON COUNTY "The Story of Sheriff John Stack and Chief Deputy Andrew Herlitz"   If you threw a dart at the center of Minnesota, you'd likely hit Morrison County.  Focused on agriculture and tourism, this was your typical rural MN county- where families and kids felt safe and crime was low back in the mid 60s. Sheriff John Stack and Chief Deputy Andrew Herlitz ran a patrol crew of four along with the county jail.  Their kids tell stories of playing outside the jail, even playing board games inside the jail with inmates.  It's really an interesting story of how back in the day, the entire family was involved - from cooking, to cleaning, even taking emergency phone calls. This community would change forever on October 15th when the Sheriff's Office received a call requesting assistance mediating a dispute between farmers. While some calls like this can seem routine for rural law enforcement, this call would remind this small tight knit community that no call is routine. These two heroes responded to the farm - they'd dealt with this farmer before and felt they had a good rapport with him. In the end, the county's top two law enforcement officials were ambushed and murdered leaving behind two grieving families and a stunned community asking how could this happen in Morrison County?   Nearly 60 years later, the children from both families help us tell the story of these two amazing heroes, the impact they made on this community, and the legacy that continues today.   We have several family pictures, newspaper articles, and evidence photos on these heroes respective websites on our page: https://www.officerdownmemorialpodcast.com/john-stack https://www.officerdownmemorialpodcast.com/andrew-herlitz     This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc.   Click here if you are interested learning how you can support this podcast and the National COPS organization: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast   WARNING: Violent content and strong language may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion advised.

A Trooper everyone loved at this agency - a great cop, great father, and a great friend.  He loved being a State Trooper.  Loved helping people.  Most importantly, he loved his family - his beautiful wife Denise and kids Alison, Alana, and Colin.  His friends called him Timmy.  He always showed everyone he came in contact with kindness and compassion.  While his primary responsibility was traffic safety when on patrol, he was always there to help back up other cops in his district if then needed help.  Including the night Chisago County Deputies were called to a shooting in June of 1997.  As usual, Tim was there to help and quick to volunteer to go in and help the victims and apprehend the shooter.  His actions, along with the others who responded, saved lives that night.  Unfortunately, this was a call he would not survive.  Tim's death left a family devastated, a department stunned, and an entire state in mourning.  He set the bar high, and his kindness will be forever remembered in the hearts and minds of all who had the pleasure of knowing him.       This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc.   Click here if you are interested learning how you can support this podcast and the National COPS organization: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast   WARNING - Strong language and violent content may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.  If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available 24/7 from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 988 on your cell phone or 1-800-273-TALK.  Help is just a phone call away.

Judson Randall moved to Freeborn County after serving as the youngest soldier in Company D, 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry during the Civil War.  He married Nancy Wiggins and they settled in Freeborn County MN.  Judson became a successful wheat buyer and served part-time as a special policeman when the local Albert Lea chief needed extra help.  During this time smallpox was the latest silent killer bringing fear to Americans.  There were already over 1000 documented cases in MN with 28 deaths in the region.  Law Enforcement became involved in helping assist health authorities, and an altercation and assault over the quarantining of an infected citizen ended in the death of this local hero and war veteran. ​ This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc.   Click here if you are interested learning how you can support this podcast and the National COPS organization: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast   WARNING - Violent content may be disturbing to some listeners.

Minnesota State Trooper Tim Bowe was one of those cops you wanted to partner with, the one you wanted to back you on a call, the one first through the door - athletic, big, strong, and tough.  Wednesday November 22nd we'll take you back to June of 1997 where we'll share his entire story and walk you through the night when we lost this hero.  Click here to listen to a preview of the Tim Bowe Story, brought to you in part by Law Enforcement Labor Services in Minnesota. www.officerdownmemorialpodcast.com

Marshal Bradley Rogers loved serving the community of Lake City, and this community loved him.  He was known to be courteous and pleasant, and was always on the lookout for the city's best interests.  It was Tuesday morning, the night after the opera, the night after the Marshal removed a young man by the name of Daniel Bush, who was preaching to those entering the opera house declaring himself the second Christ.  Bush's manic episodes were known in the city, and he wasnt known to be violent, until that Tuesday morning when he killed Marshal Rogers.     ​ This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc.   Click here if you are interested learning how you can support this podcast and the National COPS organization: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast   WARNING - Strong language and disturbing content may be disturbing to some listeners.

A young local Sheriff that everyone liked in this small Minnesota community, Sheriff Joseph Rogers had been this town's top cop for about two years when the brutal assault of a local couple and the assault of an unsuspecting farmer led him to being handed the task of hunting down those responsible, only to result in a gun battle that he would not survive.  His murder would lead to chaos in this community where towns people, area officials, and even the Governor couldn't prevent two more men from being killed before this dark chapter of McLeod County's history would end.    The data used to compile this story, along with several related pictures on our website were courtesy of the book The Midnight Gavel of Judge Lynch, researched and written by retired McLeod County Sheriff Scott Rehmann.  There is an impressive amount of detail researched in this book along with many actual photos related to this case. This is a great book and is available from Amazon at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Gavel-Judge-Lynch/dp/3242869400 This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc.   Click here if you are interested learning how you can support this podcast and the National COPS organization: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast   WARNING - Strong language and disturbing content may be disturbing to some listeners.

In this special episode, we'll talk about some of the stories coming soon on the podcast and we share Scott's visit with the Tom Barnard Show on the morning of National Law Enforcement Memorial Day.  If you haven't checked out Tom's show, it's a must to add to your podcast list.  Tom and his crew are so much fun to listen to and start your day! You can find out more at tombarnardshow.com or search for the the Tom Barnard Show in your App Store or anywhere you listen to podcasts.   We're always looking for new fallen hero stories to share so if you have a story you feel needs to be told, please contact us here: https://www.officerdownmemorialpodcast.com/submit-your-hero-s-story  ​​If you are interested in supporting our mission and the National COPS organization, click here for more info: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast

In this special episode I'm on the air in Tuscon AZ with Ben Buehler-Garcia from American Warrior Radio hosting the Buckmaster Radio show along with Nohemy Hite from the Erik Hite Foundation - Nohemy shares her husband's story along with their foundation, I talk about the Officer Down Memorial Podcast, and we discuss the importance of remembering and honoring our fallen.  Nohemy's mission is inspiring and I love the work her foundation is doing for First Responders.  It was truly an honor to be on the show with her and Ben.  Click here to learn more about the Erik Hite Foundation:  https://erikhitefoundation.org This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc. ​​If you are interested in supporting our mission and the National COPS organization, click here for more info: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast

A local law enforcement leader everyone loved and recognized, a cop everyone in this small rural county knew and loved. Loring Guenther moved to this community to make a difference, and he left a positive impact on everyone he ever came into contact with.  A series of office scandals and indiscretions, along with a new Sheriff who's leadership style did not align with Loring's, created a toxic work environment, an environment that Loring felt was his responsibility to protect his staff from.  Loring had a big heart and loved his staff.  He was always there for everyone during this time and in the end, the stress was more than his big heart could handle.  This is a story about cumulative stress and the importance of law enforcement leaders creating healthy working cultures for their staff, who already take on an incredible amount of stress with this career.  This is a story about one of Scott Rose's best friends at work, one of the stories that influenced him to start this podcast.    This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc.   Click here if you are interested learning how you can support this podcast and the National COPS organization: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast   WARNING - Strong language and disturbing content may be disturbing to some listeners. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available 24/7 from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 988 on your cell phone or 1-800-273-TALK. Help is just a phone call away.

In this podcast I talk with COPS Multimedia Specialist Tony Williams about the organization, it's history, and it's long list of services and support it provides for agencies, officers currently serving and their families, and survivor families.  We also talked about their wellness programs and some planning services for cops - services I had no idea they provided.  We also talk about National Police Week in Washington DC and the amazing event they put on for our nations cops and survivor families.      Click here for the all the links to their programs and services:    https://linktr.ee/NationalCOPS   This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc.   ​​If you are interested in supporting our mission and the National COPS organization, click here for more info: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast

A local Sheriff who grew up in the community and committed his career to helping the youth of his county, Sheriff Don Eustice served his entire law enforcement career in Waseca County after serving our country in the United States Navy from 1946 to 1948.  In a time in the 70's where being Sheriff involved the entire family, Don's family tells the stories of growing up Sheriffs' sons and daughters.  Sheriff Eustice, who actually was usually unarmed, was loved in this community and had always been able to talk down every situation - except this time.  While trying to help someone struggling who he'd known his entire life, his life was violently cut short leaving behind a stunned community, a beloved wife, and 9 children -  all left to figure out how to move on without their beloved Sheriff, husband, and father.   See more pictures about this hero on his page at www.officerdownmemorialpodcast.com/don-eustice.   This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc.   Click here if you are interested learning how you can support this podcast and the National COPS organization: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast   WARNING - Strong language and violent content may be disturbing to some listeners. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24/7 from the National Crisis Line by calling 988 on your cell phone or 1-800-273-TALK. Help is just a phone call away.

This is a special episode of the Officer Down Memorial Podcast.  Periodically, when we're working on new fallen hero episodes, we’ll share additional content and interviews Scott has done with other podcasters.  This one was done a couple of years ago on the nationally syndicated Law Enforcement Today Radio and Podcast Show with Jay Wiley where they talked about child predator internet stings that were done in Dodge County in years past.  A great podcast for parents as a reminder that you need to know where your kids are going online and who they are talking to.   You can check out more of Jay's episodes at Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast.  This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement labor Services, Inc.   If you are interested in supporting our mission and the National COPS organization, click here for more info:  www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast  WARNING:  Some content may be disturbing to some listeners.  Listener discretion is advised.

Chief Greg Lange was loved by all in this small town of 530 people, located just 30 minutes west of Rochester in SE Minnesota. The doors to his home were always open for kids after school who had nowhere else to go.  It was the end of a long 4th of July holiday weekend, and the city was finally quieting down for the night before a loud knock on the door woke Greg up.  It was a young local gal asking for help, reporting a domestic assault in progress at a home in Greg's neighborhood, a home he'd been to many times.  There he would be ambushed by two brothers, beaten and murdered - Greg gave his life that night and ultimately saved the lives of a young mother and her 5 month old baby girl.   The man who shot and killed Chief Lange is up for his 4th parole hearing after serving 35 years of his life sentence for the brutal murder.  This family needs our help to send letters to the state of Minnesota telling them to keep this cop killer in prison where he belongs.  Letters must be sent by Tuesday March 28th. Use this link to go to Greg's page on our website, and then click on the NO PAROLE FOR COP KILLERS logo to go to the Officer Down Memorial Page to find out how to send your letter to support this family.  This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement labor Services, Inc.   If you are interested in supporting our mission and the National COPS organization, click here for more info:  www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast

A Financial Crimes Investigator for the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office offers to help Homeland Security search for a missing female juvenile who ran away from Florida with a young male who had flown in from the UK.  Homeland Security has information that these two fled to Eau Claire Wisconsin where Investigator Bill Gray served.  Bill locates the male and is close to locating the female before he is violently attacked without warning in his squad and faces the fight of his life – a fight where only one would survive.  He shares his amazing story and lessons learned for other officers. Bill - "If you don't shoot them where it matters, it won't matter!"  Bill does public speaking for private companies and law enforcement sharing his story and teaching about officer safety, awareness, and human trafficking.  If you are interested in learning more about Bill's program, you can reach him by email at ccso439@yahoo.com.     Click here if you are interested learning how you can support this podcast and the National COPS organization: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast    WARNING - Strong language and violent content may be disturbing to some listeners.  If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or emotional distress due to mental health challenges, help is available 24/7 from the National Suicide & Crisis Prevention Lifeline by calling 988 on your cell phone or 1-800-273-TALK.  Help is just a phone call away.

In this episode we do a quick review of our 2022 hero stories, share a sampling of stories for new listeners checking us out, and share a sincere thank you and Christmas greeting to all of our loyal subscribers and supporters.   Find out more about these stories on our website at www.officerdownmemorialpodcast.com, and make sure to subscribe to us on your favorite podcast app so you don’t miss any of these amazing hero stories.  Click here if you are interested learning how you can support this podcast and the National COPS organization: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR from your friends at the Officer Down Memorial Podcast!

A local cop everyone in this community knew and loved. A known prankster in his department. Everyone called him Tommy. He showed everyone he came in contact with respect and compassion regardless of the circumstances. On this night Tommy responded with his partner to do a welfare check to check on a suicidal subject. Minutes after going out on scene, Tommy was shot and killed outside Winner’s Bar in Cold Spring Minnesota. The hunt for his killer went on for months and when the case was finally closed, it left locals with more questions than answers, and a wife and 4 children without their husband, father, and hero. You'll find several photos from this case on our website at www.officerdownmemorialpodcast.com This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc. Click here if you are interested learning how you can support this podcast and the National COPS organization: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast WARNING - Strong language and violent content may be disturbing to some listeners. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available 24/7 from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 988 on your cell phone or 1-800-273-TALK. Help is just a phone call away.

A gang ordered murder of a cop in retaliation for an alleged assault of an elderly black man on a bus, the subsequent murder of an alleged informant, a community afraid to serve on the jury, even defendents afraid to testify concerned the police won't be able to protect them from the Vice Lords and their leader Sharif Willis - who was implicated in Jerry's murder but never indicted.​​  Jerry was 53 years old, had served for 30 years in Minneapolis, and was only months away from retirement. His family was sentenced to life without their beloved husband, father, and grandfather - and now they need your help as one of his killers is up for parole in November.  Please help this family keep Jerry's cop killer in prison where they belong. This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc. Click here if you are interested learning how you can support this podcast and the National COPS organization: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any sponsors or persons interviewed in this program.  Violent content may not be appropriate for younger listeners.

A gang ordered murder of a cop in retaliation for an alleged assault of an elderly black man on a bus, the subsequent murder of an alleged informant, a community afraid to serve on the jury, even defendents afraid to testify concerned the police wouldn't be able to protect them from the Vice Lords and their leader Sharif Willis - who was implicated in Jerry's murder but never indicted.​​   This is the Jerry Haaf Story from 1992 coming in October.  Fast forward 30 years, one of Jerry's killers is up for parole in November. Jerry was 53 years old, had served for 30 years in Minneapolis, and was only months away from retirement. His family was sentenced to life without their beloved husband, father, and grandfather - they believe his killers should get no less time.  Jerry's family needs your help to keep this cop killer in prison where he belongs.   You can help Jerry's family now by sending a letter to the MN DOC to deny this cop killer's parole request in November.  Click this link for more info on how you can help the Haaf Family: https://www.officerdownmemorialpodcast.com/jerryhaaf to find out how easy it is to help this family.   The Jerry Haaf Story, sponsored by the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast, coming in mid October on the Officer Down Memorial Podcast.

As one officer takes a stolen vehicle report at a local mall, another officer locates the vehicle and before he can stop it, gets rammed by the suspect and the chase is on.  The suspect had a lengthy criminal history including previous vehicle thefts and he was determined to get away at any cost.  35 miles and around 30 minutes later, Investigator Liebenstein lost his life ending this dangerous pursuit and in doing so - saved others from injury or death.  This hero left behind his wife, three young kids, and a devastated agency and community.        This episode is sponsored by our friends at Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc.   Click here if you are interested learning how you can support this podcast and the National COPS organization: www.glow.fm/officerdownmemorialpodcast    WARNING: Violent Content may be disturbing to some listeners.