Minnesota News

Minnesota State Patrol honors civilians and law enforcement officers for heroic acts

Meritorious Citizenship Award
Recipients of the Meritorious Citizenship Award with their plaques at the Minnesota State Patrol Awards Ceremony held at the Mendakota Country Club on Thursday in Mendota Heights, Minn.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

The Minnesota State Patrol honored nearly two dozen civilians and sworn law enforcement officers at its annual recognition ceremony Thursday.

The various acts of heroism ran the gambit, from pulling people from burning cars, to administering lifesaving first aid, to getting impaired drivers off the road.

Meritorious Citizenship Award
Attendees applaud during the Minnesota State Patrol Awards Ceremony at the Mendakota Country Club.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

“There are countless souls that are out there today that are still among us because of the work that many of you did, the work that you did may have prevented others from being hurt or injured,” said Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson. 

Among those honored for their distinguished service last year was west-metro trooper Gustavo Culbeaux, who led the State Patrol for the sixth year in a row in impaired driver arrests.

“In 2024 Gustavo Culbeaux arrested 222 impaired drivers,” said State Patrol Chief Colonel Christina Bogojevic. “In recognition of his efforts, he is presented with the eagle squadron award. Trooper Culbeaux’s dedication to making an impact in the critical area of removing the impaired driver from our roadways has earned him this award.”

Correction (Feb. 7, 2025): A previous version of this story misspelled trooper Gustavo Culbeaux's name.