WEST ST. PAUL — Thousands of Minnesota law enforcement officers on Wednesday filled the grounds of a West St. Paul church, paying their final respects to a Mendota Heights police officer fatally shot last week during a routine traffic stop.

Friends and relatives delivered tearful eulogies, often struggling to maintain their composure as they said goodbye to officer Scott Patrick.

“Scott impacted many people on the path of life, as evidenced by the outpouring” since his death, said his boss Chief Mike Aschenbrener. He added that Patrick, 47, “knew where he wanted to be and worked hard to get there.”

Funeral organizers estimated that 5,000 people attended, including 4,000 law enforcement officers, many from outside the state.

Fellow officer Robert Lambert imagined that Patrick would have been touched by the turnout.

“He’d put his arm around me, have a smirk on his face, a twinkle in his eye: ‘Hey, not bad for a Humboldt grad, eh, cadet?”’ Lambert said, his voice cracking with emotion.

Speakers shared stories of their camaraderie at the Mendota Heights Police Department. They told of how Patrick’s dream was to serve his community, and they remembered how he drew strength from his wife and two daughters.

Patrick’s half brother, Mike Brue, told mourners that Patrick knew the risks involved with his job. He also said Patrick lived by the words of President Theodore Roosevelt: “Do what you can with what you have where you are.”

“Scott had the courage to be true to himself,” Brue continued. “Only 47, when his life ended in the line of duty, he already realized a lot of dreams in life for himself and his family.”

Patrick was killed July 30 while making a traffic stop. Brian G. Fitch Sr., 39, is charged with first-degree murder in his death. Fitch remains hospitalized after being shot several times in a subsequent shootout with police.