Preserving a legacy: Squad door bearing fallen Mendota Heights officer's signature saved from dump

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) - It's been nearly a decade since Mendota Heights Police Officer Scott Patrick was fatally shot during a routine traffic stop.

Before his untimely death, Officer Patrick along with his colleagues left their mark on a historic St. Paul bar.

"That's all I do. One day at a time. One foot in front of the other or what's, what's my goal today, you know?" said Michelle Patrick, Scott's widow.

It has been a long, difficult journey for Michelle Patrick, marked by nine years of sorrow and heartache, since her husband, Mendota Heights Police Officer Scott Patrick, was killed in the line of duty..

"We are one big family that is truly hurting right now," Michelle shared back in 2014, soon after Scott's death.

Michelle recently moved, selling the home she and Scott shared. But Scott, who made the ultimate sacrifice serving his community, will forever be close. There’s the tattoo on her right arm, and a touching display sits at the heart of her new house.

"I still, I'm always going have his memories. That will never go away. I'll always have his memories," says Michelle.

Now, she has one more, unique piece of Scott’s service that will soon hang in the garage. A damaged Mendota Heights squad-car door with her late husband’s signature and badge number on it. A door with its own story to tell.

"This door was damaged. It had dings, scratches, tears, and it was no longer operational in the field, but it wasn't tossed out," said Sgt. Bobby Lambert.

Lambert was Scott Patrick’s long-time partner in Mendota Heights where they spent some 18 years together. The now Dakota County deputy sheriff gave the eulogy at Scott’s funeral.

"[I think about him] every day… Yeah, every day," shared Lambert, recalling his late partner.

In addition to Scott’s signature, Bobby’s name is also on the gashed door that had struck a fire hydrant way back in the day. As are a whole bunch of other former colleagues and pals from the Mendota Heights PD.

For a generation, the door hung from a chain inside Alary’s Bar in downtown Saint Paul. Once upon a time, the place was a classic, cop hangout. The long-time owner repurposed squad doors from agencies near and far, displaying them for his proud clientele who wore the badge.

The tradition? Sign it, brag about it, have a couple of cold ones with your law enforcement buddies. Michelle kind of recalls the night it went up but knows with certainty it was a much more joyous time.

"Yeah, we had a huge party there and like, Oh yeah, that's right. That's probably why I don't remember. But yeah, it was like a whole bunch of us went there and, um. Just kind of celebrated the door being hung up," said Michelle.

But over time, those doors disappeared. The bar morphed into more of a sports pub with a Chicago flavor that often saw Cubs and Bears fans taking over the place.

In the last couple of weeks, ownership announced another remake. And this time, all those dozens and dozens of squad remnants with badge numbers, signatures, and so many memories that had been stacked up in storage collecting dust, were headed to the dump.

This last-minute post on Facebook provided one, final opportunity to come collect the doors. The response was overwhelming.

"It's the sentimental connection to these," said Sgt. Jordan Klug.

When Dakota County Sheriff’s Sergeant Jordan Klug heard about what was happening, he knew in his gut he had to do something. He spent nearly two hours at Alary’s, sorting, organizing, and collecting doors from agencies he had connections with, including Mendota Heights.

When he told Bobby what he had found, Bobby immediately recalled Scott signing it. It was a no-brainer. The door was going to Michelle Patrick.

"Being able to reflect and have a pretty much just a piece of something that's tangible to realize. Scott was there, he touched it, he signed it. It was probably a good night for him to be there. It means a lot," shared Klug.

"To most people, you know, it's pretty cool. Nostalgic souvenir… But with Scott's signature, it was really priceless for a lot of us. There's no, no, there's no dollar amount," said Bobby.

It’s worth noting that Sergeant Klug’s father was killed in the line of duty, struck by a drunk driver nearly 30 years ago on the roads of Dakota County. He knows more than most the true value of that squad door means for the Patrick family.