(PatriotSpotlight.org) – An ordinary Sunday morning transformed into tragedy in the suburb of Burnsville, Minnesota on 18 February, when several first responders were fatally shot. The suspect who carried out the horrific attack in the Twin Cities was also found dead at the scene. Minnesota Superintendent Drew Evans said that police officers responded to a call at around 1:50 a.m. at the intersection of 33rd Avenue South and East 126th Street. The situation took place to the west of the Interstate 35E – Highway 77 interchange amid reports of an armed suspect barricaded inside a house with seven young children.
Police participated in lengthy negotiations with the prime suspect, calling paramedics to assist them at approximately 5 a.m. The situation soon escalated dramatically when the suspect began to shoot, prompting dispatch to tell those present to hold back. Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge along with firefighter and paramedic Adam Finseth heroically died during the incident, while Sergeant Adam Medlicott was wounded.
Elmstrand, who was just 27 at the time of his death, had worked for the Burnsville Police Department since 2017, having been promoted in 2019. His wife told CBS News that he was a person who felt obliged to protect others, despite the risk to his own safety. His late colleague Ruge was also 27, having joined the force in 2020 where he worked as a physical evidence officer and in crisis negotiation. 40-year-old Finseth had been a firefighter and SWAT paramedic in the area since 2019. Sergeant Adam Medlicott, who has served the department for almost ten years, was discharged from medical care on Monday 19 February and is currently recovering from his injuries at home. Medlicott was promoted to sergeant just over a year ago in 2022. He is an expert in supervising community service and drug recognition.
Tanya Schwartz, Chief of the local police force, announced her colleagues’ grief in response to their fallen fellow officers, referring to them as heroes and stressing the depth of the loss their untimely deaths had caused. Neighbors have spoken to reporters about the disturbing series of events, expressing grief and shock. A candle vigil memorial service for the fallen officers took place outside Burnsville City Hall on Monday 19 February. Governor Tim Walz also issued an instruction that the state’s flags be lowered to fly at half-mast, and published a statement honoring the victims fallen in duty, stressing that it was a stark reminder of how emergency workers put their “lives on the line” each day. Investigations into the details of the incident are ongoing.
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