2 Minnesota cops, paramedic shot dead while responding to domestic abuse call, suspect kills himself
Officers Matthew Ruge, 27, and Paul Elmstrand, 27, and paramedic and firefighter Adam Finseth, 40, were shot dead while they tried to rescue a family
Two Minnesota police officers and a paramedic were gunned down during a standoff with a man who barricaded himself inside his home. The suspect’s family was also inside.
Officers Matthew Ruge, 27, and Paul Elmstrand, 27, and paramedic and firefighter Adam Finseth, 40, were shot dead while they tried to rescue a family from a house in a Burnsville neighbourhood about 15 miles south of Minneapolis in the wee hours of Sunday, February 18. A fourth officer, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the shooting, is being treated.
The shooter, who remains unnamed, also died at the scene. Some reports claimed he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
Authorities were at the scene after receiving a domestic abuse call about a suspect who had barricaded himself inside his home with his family. The family members included a woman and seven children between the ages of 2 and 15. A resident inside the home had placed the call and sought help.
Police arrived and learned that the suspect had “multiple firearms” inside. Officers described the man as “dangerous” and “refusing to come out,” according to the Star Tribune.
This was followed by as many as four hours of negotiations with the suspect. When gunfire erupted, two officers were killed. Finseth, who tried to rescue them, was also shot dead.
A shot was heard from inside a house an hour later. The suspect had killed himself. “We have a caller calling from inside saying the dad is down,” dispatchers said. “He is not breathing. He is in the bedroom … He just shot himself in the head.”
The family was safely removed from the home. “This individual had several guns and large amounts of ammunition and shot at the police officers from multiple positions within the home,” said Drew Evans, Superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, adding that there had been “not many calls from this house for service at all” before the shootout.
Elmstrand had served with the Burnsville Police Department since 2017, and Ruge since 2020. Finseth had served with the city since 2019.
After the tragedy, hundreds of police officers attended a vigil outside Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis. “We must never take for granted the bravery and sacrifices our first responders make each and every day,” said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in a statement.
“Today, the families of these public servants received the call they knew was possible but hoped would never come. My heart is with those grieving families — the State of Minnesota stands ready to support in any way we can. This is a tragic loss for our state,” Walz added. On Monday, February 19, the governor ordered flags flown at half-mast.
