West Fargo Police honors Lieutenant Adam Gustafson with memorial

The memorial gives people the chance to remember and thank him for his service to the community.

WEST FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) –The West Fargo Police Department has set up a memorial for Lieutenant Adam Gustafson who died after suffering a heart attack while on duty.

The West Fargo Police Department says the autopsy on 40-yea-old Lieutenant Adam Gustafson determined he suffered from severe coronary artery disease and major arterial blockage.

In his honor, a memorial gives people the chance to remember and thank him for his service to the community.

“As far as law enforcement, he was an exceptional officer, very dedicated to his career, to the profession, to the citizens of West Fargo, to doing the right thing in making sure that he was serving the citizens of West Fargo to the best of his ability,” Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner said.

A former police officer who worked with Gustafson is saddened by the news.

“Tough news to hear. Adam was a great guy, I was lucky enough to know him and work with him for a couple of years. So, it’s very difficult knowing that he’s gone,” Former West Fargo Police Officer Skyler Dutton said.

To further show their support the Cass County Sheriff’s office alongside the Fargo Police department and the North Dakota Highway Patrol are helping assist members of the West Fargo Police Department as they grieve their loss.

“I knew it was going to be tough for a lot of them to process that this had occurred. For us as the sheriff’s office and for myself as the sheriff it was just simply to call Chief Otterness and ask him what he needed and just offer whatever assistance we could. In this particular instance they just asked for helping take calls for service,” said Jahner.

Although Dutton is saddened by his loss, he remembers the good in Gustafson.

“He was kind hearted, he really had a lot of love for his coworkers in his community, he liked to laugh and have a good time and he was serious when he needed to be and where he needed to be,” said Dutton.

Arrangements for Gustafson’s funeral service are still being made.