Bemidji Police Honor Captain James Marcotte For 25 Years Of Service

Captain James Marcotte

After a 25 year career in law enforcement, Captain James Marcotte of the Bemidji Police Department will retire today.

Captain Marcotte started his career with the Tustin Police Department in California in 1991. While at the Tustin Police Department he worked as a patrol officer, range master and worked on the drug task force. 
 In January of 2002, Captain Marcotte, moved back to his hometown of Bemidji, MN and started as a part-time patrol officer with the Bemidji Police Department and part-time bailiff with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office. In January of 2003, he was made a full-time patrol officer with the Bemidji Police Department. He spent 7 years as a patrol officer, 2 years on the Paul Bunyan Drug Taskforce, 1 year as a patrol sergeant, and 5 years as the police captain.

Prior to his law enforcement career, Captain Marcotte served in the United States Marine Corp, from 1985 to 1989. He was an Infantryman and was honorably discharged with the rank of corporal.
Filling the vacancy left by Captain Marcotte, will be Detective Sergeant David LaZella who was selected from within the department to be the next Police Captain, starting on April 30th.

David LaZella started with department in 2004.  Since then he has been assigned to the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force and Federal Headwaters Violent Crimes Task Force. In Feburary of 2012, David LaZella was promoted to Patrol Sergeant and
in May of 2013 he was promoted to Detective Sergeant.   He continues to serve the police department as a Tazer Instructor, a bike patrol officer and a firearms instructor. Prior to becoming a Bemidji Officer he was employed with the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office and the Beltrami County Dispatch center.