City officials in Burnsville, Minnesota, identified the two police officers and paramedic who were sadly slain in the city by a gunman when they were responding to a domestic situation call. They responded at just before 2 a.m., with an armed man barricaded inside the home with family members, including seven children aged 2 to 15.
The city identified the fallen officers and firefighter-paramedic in a statement released the same Sunday, February 18, as the shooting. In that statement, it described how the domestic situation turned deadly and gave brief biographies of the first responders who were tragically killed by the barricaded gunman, who was also killed during the incident.
Beginning the Sunday press release about the horrific and tragic incident, the city identified the three first responders who were murdered by the gunman on Sunday morning, saying, “The Burnsville community is mourning the loss of Police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth.”
Continuing, the city’s press release briefly described the situation at the home that led to the first responders arriving, saying, “At 1:50 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 18, Burnsville Police were called to the 12600 block of 33rd Avenue South on a report of a domestic situation where a man reported to be armed was barricaded with family members.”
It then noted that the situation turned into a firefight and that the three first responders were killed and another, a police officer, was wounded. It noted, “After arriving, the situation escalated into gunfire with responders. Elmstrand, Ruge and Finseth were killed by the gunman during the response. One other Police Officer, Sgt. Adam Medlicott, was injured and transported to a hospital where he is believed to have non-life-threatening injuries. At approximately 8 a.m., the suspect was reported to be dead.”
Continuing on, the Sunday press release described how the incident concluded, noting that the family members who had been barricaded inside the house were safe and that there was no ongoing threat to the community. It said, “Later in the morning, the other family members left the home and are safe. There is no ongoing threat. Residents are asked to allow public safety personnel to perform their duties and stay away from the area until further notice.”
Finally, the press conference gave brief biographies of the slain first responders, saying, “Elmstrand, 27, joined the Burnsville Police Department in August 2017 as a Community Service Officer. He was promoted to Officer in July 2019. He was part of the department’s mobile command staff, peer team, Honor Guard and field training unit. Ruge, 27, joined the Burnsville Police Department in April 2020. He was part of the department’s crisis negotiations team and was a physical evidence officer. Finseth, 40, has been a Burnsville Firefighter/Paramedic since February 2019.”
Watch the press conference here:
The city also announced an informal, Sunday night vigil, saying, “The community is invited to attend a vigil 6:30 p.m. tonight, Sunday, Feb. 18, to honor Police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth who were killed in the line of duty in response to a critical incident in the early morning hours. The vigil will be held at Burnsville City Hall, 100 Civic Center Parkway. Parking is available at the Burnsville Ice Center, 251 Civic Center Parkway, and Nicollet Middle School, 400 E. 134th St. To ensure public safety response, no parking is allowed on Civic Center Parkway. The vigil is intended to be an informal event for people to gather, mourn and support one another. There will not be a formal program.”
Featured image credit: photos of first responders from City of Burnsville
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