Alexandria Police Remember Fellow Officer Killed in Crash

ALEXANDRIA, Minn - Officer Keith Melrose with the Alexandria Police Department still cannot believe his partner and friend Patrick Callaghan is gone.

"We were optimistic when he made it to HCMC and he's so strong. That's why it's hard to believe he didn't make it," Melrose said.

Alexandria officials have been left wondering how they will make it through Callaghan's death.

"We're going to try to cope by thinking of good memories of Patrick and being strong as a whole agency," Alexandria Chief of Police Richard Wyffels said.  

"My heart couldn't sink any lower. I never wanted to lose an officer...but now it's a reality," Wyffels said.

Callaghan's fellow officer and neighbor Tony Golden said the best way to deal with that reality is to remember who he was. 

"Pat was a solid guy with a smile that lit up the room and I won't forget that," Golden said.

Even though that light has been extinguished, Melrose said they will never forget him.

Written for the Web by Anthony Kiekow

akiekow@ksax.com