MINOT – There was a large presence of fellow police, sheriff’s officers, and first responders from throughout the state at the Minot State University Dome Friday morning for the funeral of Minot Police Master Officer Patrick Blanchard.
Blanchard, a U.S. Army veteran, joined the Minot Police in 2017. He took his own life on December 29.
Minot Police Chief John Klug recently spoke about Blanchard at a Minot City Council meeting.
“The past several days have been difficult,” said Chief of Police John Klug. “The officers and staff at the Minot Police Department have been working hard to continue the mission while caring for each other. I know some may think it’s a little cliche when we refer to the PD as a family, but the level of care and support I’ve seen and experienced in losing Pat is above anything I’ve experienced in 29 years. We will continue to serve the community while grieving our loss. We will recover. We will grow as a department together and become a stronger and more cohesive unit as we learn from this loss. We’ve received outstanding support from the Minot community and from partners in law enforcement across the state and beyond.”
City Manager Harold Stewart added that he believes there should be more focus on mental health for city employees in future budget conversations.
“Our public safety officers, we lean on them in our darkest moments,” said Stewart. “They’re trained to be leaned on, but it’s something different and more difficult when it’s one of your own.”
