Ryan Quanrud recalls always wanting to serve in law enforcement. “It was always something I wanted to do; since I was a little kid. I just knew I was going to be a police officer,” he says.
Growing up, Quanrud saw the life of emergency services first hand. Both his father and grandfather served with the Preston Fire Department. His grandfather also worked as a probation officer. “He would tell me stories. I liked the sound of the work, but really didn’t want to sit in an office. I think the versatility of the job drew me to it,” he adds. “A police officer doesn’t just write tickets. We do numerous things and are a combination of a bunch of professions and have to know a lot of just about everything.”
After graduating from Fillmore Central High School in 2010, Quanrud attended Rochester Community and Technical College, pursuing a criminal justice degree, also attending the school’s Skills Program. Earning his degree in June 2012, he began his first position just five months later with the Rushford Police Department. He joined the La Crescent Police Department in March of 2015, also serving part-time with the Preston Police Department and as an emergency medical technician and firefighter.
Quanrud, along with his partner, Chris Frick, were nominated by the department for the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA) Officer of the Year. The association wades through a number of award nominations honoring bravery in the line of duty. This year, there was one Officer of the Year and three Honorable Mentions; two of which were bestowed on Quanrud and Frick.
“I was very surprised and honored,” says Quanrud of the award. “This isn’t a job that I expect to get recognized for.”
The award comes following a July 2017 shootout, south of La Crescent, in which Quanrud was the responding officer. The events that early morning escalated quickly; Quanrud expected it would be DWI traffic stop.
“We saw two males acting suspicious at the local Kwik Trip,” he recalls. One of the two males, Wyatt Helfrich, approached the corner window and saw officers inside. “He gave us the ‘1,000 yard stare,’ then disappeared.” Quanrud followed the subjects in his cruiser and observed speeding and crossing over the fog line. With Frick not far behind, he waited for a safe, lighted location to stop the vehicle. Approaching the vehicle, he got as far as the “B post,” just behind the driver’s door, looked in and saw a shotgun pointed directly at his head.
“As soon as I saw it the gun went off. I thought I was dead,” remembers Quanrud. “It missed my head by one to two inches and I could feel the blast of the shotgun go past my head.”
Initially, Frick thought his partner had been shot. Training took over and within seconds, Quanrud called shots fired, positioned himself to the rear of the vehicle and drew his weapon. Both officers returned fire as the suspects sped off. The entire scene played out in 13 seconds.
A high-speed chase, up to speeds of 100 miles per hour, ensued for roughly 12 miles. Additional agencies were called in for assistance and an officer from the Caledonia Police Officer Nate Pearson was able to successfully deploy spike strips, which sent the vehicle into a ditch near Highways 16 and 26, in Houston County.
The suspects fled to a corn field, with guns and ammunition. With aid from Houston County Sheriff Lieutenant Brian Swedberg, Quanrud, Frick, and Pearson established a perimeter. A short time later the suspects surrendered without further incident. The driver and shooter, Helfrich, sustained non-life threatening wounds. After the shooting, the officers were separated, contacted legal counsel and their families, and met with agents from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, as per protocol. Walraff has since been sentenced to 13 years in prison, while Helfrich was sentenced July 29 to 20 years for two counts of first-degree assault with use of deadly force against a peace officer.
A month prior to the final sentencing, an awards banquet was held in Alexandria and attended by officers from across the state. Presenting the award was MPPOA Executive Director Dave Metusalem. “The conduct of Officers Quanrud and Frick exemplify professional law enforcement,” stated Metusalem in a press release. “These officers took note of an unusual situation, pursued it in an ethical and law-abiding manner, and avoided any major damage, injury, or loss of life in the process.”
The job does comes with its share of challenges, some more defining than others, but Quanrud knows it’s made him a better officer. “Being a police officer means working nights, weekends and holidays. We miss a lot of holidays and events because of work. I’ve also had some pretty major calls,” he says. “It definitely changed the way I look at things; it has made me look into things more.”
“Anytime I can turn someone’s bad day into a good day is a win for me,” he adds, noting the benefits outweigh the challenges. “Thank you to everyone who responded to this incident and family, friends and officers for the support. We live in a great area and the support towards law enforcement is amazing.”
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