Bills Honoring Slain Police Officers Move Ahead

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota is closer to memorializing two police officers killed on the job.

Lawmakers want to name the road Mendota Heights Officer Scott Patrick lived on after him. Patrick was killed during a traffic stop last summer.

Another bill would memorialize Maplewood Police Sgt. Joseph Bergeron on a highway in that city. He was murdered nearly five years ago.

Both bills passed the House Transportation Policy and Finance Committee unanimously on Wednesday and are headed to the House floor.

Rep. Jim Nash voted for both bills. The Waconia Republican says it's important to honor fallen officers.

A national nonprofit dedicated to honoring police says 236 officers have died in the line of duty in Minnesota, though not all of them were murdered.