Officer Arik Matson received the Minnesota County Attorneys Association’s Public Service Award. He has been a member of the Waseca Police Department for the past 10 years along with numerous other volunteer commitments. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Cornelius)
Waseca County Attorney Rachel Cornelius presented Arik Matson with the Minnesota County Attorneys Association’s Public Service award on Dec. 3. The award was given to him for his dedication and commitment to serving the public. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Cornelius)
Officer Arik Matson received the Minnesota County Attorneys Association’s Public Service Award. He has been a member of the Waseca Police Department for the past 10 years along with numerous other volunteer commitments. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Cornelius)
Waseca County Attorney Rachel Cornelius presented Arik Matson with the Minnesota County Attorneys Association’s Public Service award on Dec. 3. The award was given to him for his dedication and commitment to serving the public. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Cornelius)
Waseca Police Officer Arik Matson received the Minnesota County Attorneys Association’s Public Service Award for his outstanding dedication and commitment to public service.
He was presented with the award on Dec. 2 by Waseca County Attorney Rachel Cornelius. MCAA Executive Director Bob Small encouraged Cornelius to write the nomination for Matson.
Matson was injured in the line of duty when he was shot in the head on Jan. 6 while responding to a disturbance at a Waseca residence. Due to the injury sustained, Matson had to be away from home for nearly 10 months for rehabilitation before coming home in October.
In his time away from home he had to re-learn how to walk, eat, drink and talk while not being able to see friends or family due to COVID-19 restrictions at the rehabilitation center.
“Officer Arik Matson embodies public service,” Cornelius wrote in the nomination. “He has been a dedicated law enforcement officer for over 10 years in Waseca, as well as many other volunteer things in the public realm, such as being a Freeborn City Council member, a volunteer firefighter, DARE officer, SWAT Team member, co-organizer of Waseca’s Night to Unite. Most people will remember seeing Officer Matson at the waterpark at Night to Unite, visiting with people, he’s just really good public relations and really humanizing the badge, just showing good community policing.”
Matson grew up wanting to be a police officer, watching his dad who is a retired member of the Albert Lea Police Department, according to the nomination.
Cornelius wrote in her nomination: “Officer Matson is a beloved community member who is quick to help wherever needed, in both his line of work and outside of work... His unswerving devotion to duty reflects great credit upon himself and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association’s commitment to enhance the quality of justice in Minnesota.”
Matson was one of many who gave a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing for Tyler Janovsky, who was convicted of shooting Matson, and Matson stated, “I would still respond to that call if it were made tomorrow.”
Janovsky, 38, of Waseca, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for attempted murder of Matson and one count of attempted murder of Waseca Officers Andrew Harren and Sgt. Timothy Schroeder, according to a previous WCN article.
