Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association Names Waseca Officer Arik Matson Police Officer of the Year

The Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association (MCPA) announced Wednesday that Waseca Police Officer Arik Matson is the 2020 recipient of its prestigious Police Officer of the Year Award. Matson was shot and severely injured on January 6, 2020 while responding to a report of a suspicious person.

“These awards call out some of the best, brightest and bravest men and women in Minnesota law enforcement, but police chiefs across our state also today want to recognize the great work that goes unnoticed from the vast majority of police officers in agencies of all sizes, urban and rural,” said MCPA President Eric Werner, police chief in Maple Grove, MN.

Chief Werner says the Police Officer of the Year Award is given to an officer whose actions exceed expectations after having been injured, faced imminent personal hazards to life above and beyond the call of duty, and demonstrated courage in dangerous or emergency conditions which resulted in the successful resolution of the situation.

The 2021 recipients will be formally recognized at the MCPA’s Annual Statewide Awards Banquet on November 2, 2021.