Hundreds gather to celebrate life of Biddeford police sergeant killed in car crash

Dec. 18—HAMPTON, N.H. — Hundreds of friends, loved ones and fellow law enforcement officers gathered Wednesday afternoon to mourn a Biddeford police sergeant who died last week on his way home from the late shift.

Jacob Wolterbeek IX, who served for nearly two decades on the Biddeford Police Department, died last week while crossing the Piscataqua River Bridge during his early-morning drive home to New Hampshire. As a rain fell over southern Maine and visibility proved poor, he was unable to stop his vehicle before colliding with a truck. He was 41.

A Biddeford police cruiser sat parked outside the Remick & Gendron Funeral Home on Wednesday, while more than 100 law enforcement officers from Maine and New Hampshire — including Maine State Police, Maine game wardens, and local officers from Kittery to Kennebunk — lined up around 4 p.m. before processing through the building.

Capt. Kevin Chabot and Adam Shaw, both of the Wells Police Department, stood in the parking lot after shortly after walking through the funeral home and remembered Wolterbeek, their former colleague and high school classmate.

Chabot called Wolterbeek's death a significant loss and said the crowds were a testament to how widely Wolterbeek impacted communities in southern Maine.

"I think he's very well-liked," Chabot said. "Law enforcement's a very small world. It's evident here, by all the uniforms, the effect that he had on not just his town, his community, but other communities as well."

Biddeford police officers embraced in tight hugs as they left the funeral home. They shook hands and shared stories with members of other agencies.

The morning of Wolterbeek's crash, traffic was backed up and stopped in some places due to a crash on the other side of the bridge in New Hampshire, Maine State Trooper Brady Walp wrote in the crash report. Walp cited weather and road surface conditions as contributing factors to the crash.

Wolterbeek was driving "too fast for conditions" but was slowing down when he struck the rear of a stopped truck, Walp wrote. His vehicle's airbags went off, and he was wearing a seatbelt, Walp wrote.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

STATEWIDE TRIBUTES

Wednesday's ceremony came nearly a week after Wolterbeek's death, during which time his family and the Biddeford Police Department have seen an outpouring of support in person and on social media. City officials and members of Biddeford's business community remembered Wolterbeek as an approachable, passionate public servant, who cared deeply for the community.

The day of Wolterbeek's death, law officers from across the state gathered for a procession to bring his body from Ogunquit to the Chief Medical Officer's Examiner's Office in Augusta.

The Biddeford City Council began its regular meeting Tuesday with a series of tributes to Wolterbeek. Mayor Martin Grohman spoke first, calling Wolterbeek "the very definition of what it means to serve with honor."

"Sgt. Wolterbeek was not only a dedicated member of the Biddeford Police Department," Grohman said. "He was a person who exemplified courage, integrity and compassion in everything he did."

He spoke through tears and paused at times to catch his breath, before inviting Chief JoAnne Fisk to address the council.

Fisk said Wolterbeek held several roles in the department, including on its Community Oriented Policing Engagement unit, and was the department's most decorated officer.

"He cared deeply about our city and those that live here," Fisk said. "He could be found with a ready smile, the gift of gab and an infectious laugh."

Fisk said she would never forget how excited Wolterbeek was when he met his wife, or when his three children were born.

"Above all else, Jake was a committed family man," Fisk said. "The passing of Sgt. Jacob Wolterbeek serves as a reminder to all of us that life is short and to cherish the time with those we love."

Several councilors could be seen wiping tears from their eyes as she spoke.

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