FOLLOWING IN DAD’S FOOTSTEPS

Many kids grow up idolizing their fathers. And that certainly holds true for Connor MacDonald, who serves as a community service officer with the Owatonna Police Department.

“Dad was my hero,” said Connor, whose father, Adam MacDonald, served as a Lakeville police officer for many years.

As Connor makes his own path to become a police officer just like his father was, he’s doing it without dad by his side supporting him. Adam died in 2022 after a four-year courageous battle with cancer. He had served as a patrol officer, field training officer, detective, crisis negotiator and crime scene officer. He was 48.

“It is a special thing to have one of your parents in that role,” Connor said of his father serving in law enforcement.

Connor hopes to take some of the traits his dad brought to life and the job as he embarks on his own police career. While working mostly weekends in Owatonna as a CSO, Connor is currently attending Hennepin Technical College in the Twin Cities. He hopes to finish his law enforcement training by next summer.

Most notably, Connor said his dad was a very patient man who always went above and beyond and had the ability to know what to say all the time. “People felt at ease when they saw him,” Connor said. “He definitely had a knack for people.”

Noting his dad was never injured on duty during his career, Connor is confident it was because he always had the right words to say. “He was a bad ass with his words. He was able to talk to people, and it was impressive that he never had to put his hands on anyone,” Connor said. “You can avoid so many hardships as a police officer by being able to say the right words.”

Through conversations with Adam’s former partners, Connor has learned many things about his dad that may not have been so noticeable at home. One of them was a hostage situation where Adam used his skills to talk down the suspect. Within 15 minutes of negotiating on the phone, the situation ended peacefully, and the two enjoyed a cigarette together.

Another incident involving a man armed with a machete running around a back yard earned Adam the Medal of Merit. The man fled to a nearby deck of a neighbor’s place. Connor said his dad managed to get the man to drop the weapon and walk out with his hands out. “He could have been shot very easily,” he said of the suspect.

“He knew how to stay calm in a crisis situation,” said Connor. “Attitude and the right words can make an impact on any situation.”

Adam’s demeanor was also noted by the Lakeville department. “Adam touched so many lives inside our organization, and countless more outside of our walls,” the department said. “In a profession that can be full of stress and chaos at times, Adam’s calm, compassionate and professional demeanor was a welcome addition to many calls for service and moments of crisis he responded to.”

With what Connor learned about his dad since his illness and death, it has solidified his passion for becoming a cop. Connor said what kind of man his dad was in the community has proven to be “very inspirational” for him. “I hope I can strive to be like him some day,” he said.

Connor said his father’s health took an emotional toll on him and the rest of the family. “It was incredibly hard,” Connor said. “I took care of him every day,” he said, noting Adam had been on hospice care for about 1½ weeks before dying. Unable to talk near the end, one of Adam’s final comments to Connor was, “I love you, too.” It’s a memory Connor will never forget.

“It had a major impact on my mental health,” Connor said of his father’s cancer battle.

He struggles with the fact that he didn’t get as much time with his dad as he would have liked. When Connor was younger, Adam served on the Dakota County Drug Task Force, which often kept him away from home.

CSO Path

Connor is following a path that many CSOs take to become sworn officers. It’s the same way his father became a police officer in Lakeville.

Connor has been a CSO since August 2023. As one of three CSOs in Owatonna, he handles downtown parking enforcement, animal control calls and assisting with other calls mostly related to various ordinance violations like dog bites, dogs at large and lost property. He also assists officers with traffic control at crash scenes.

He also can often be found walking through the downtown area for different events. Connor likes to connect with business owners.

“I like to keep busy interacting with the community,” he said.

Connor hopes to become a full-time officer in Owatonna by next summer. In the future, he has his eyes set on becoming a K-9 officer, detective and crisis negotiator.

Having grown up in a large suburban community like Lakeville, Connor admits he was unsure what it would be like coming down to Owatonna. But he has been pleasantly surprised.

“The officers here are super welcoming,” he said. “Everyone waves and smiles at us, and you definitely feel a lot of support . I can’t thank OPD enough for giving me a chance.”

Asked if his father ever gave him career advice, Connor smiled and said, “Don’t be a cop.”

But Connor is set to move in the direction of following in his father’s footsteps of protecting and serving the community.