Minnesota Police Officers, Paramedic Killed Responding to Call: Reports

Two police officers and a paramedic were killed on Sunday morning after a shooting erupted during a response to a call about a domestic incident.

The Context:

The incident took place in Burnsville, Minnesota, a city of roughly 64,000 people located 15 miles south of downtown Minneapolis in Dakota County. At approximately 5:30 a.m. local time, officers responded to a domestic report at a home near the 12000 block of 33rd Avenue.

What We Know:

Speaking with local ABC affiliate KSTP News, a witness in the neighborhood reported hearing gunshots and said they received a shelter-in-place warning on their phone. Eventually, a large police presence began to gather in the area, made up of responding officers from multiple precincts, with armored vehicles and SWAT personnel spotted at the scene.

It was initially reported that several officers had been shot and injured during the shooting, as was a paramedic who witnesses said was on the scene to treat the officers. By noon on Sunday, it was confirmed that two officers and the paramedic had died from their injuries.

At a press conference later in the day, the department confirmed the identities of the deceased as officers Paul Elmstrand, 27, and Matthew Ruge, 27, and paramedic Adam Finseth, 40. The domestic incident they had responded to involved a man who barricaded himself and his family inside their home. After officers arrived on the scene, the situation began to escalate when the man opened fire. By 8 a.m. local time, the man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was confirmed to be dead.

Another officer, Sergeant Adam Medlicott, was injured in the shooting and is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Newsweek reached out to the Burnsville Police Department via email on Sunday afternoon. Any responses received will be added to this story in an update.

Views:

"Please keep Burnsville Police Dept in your prayers this morning," Minneapolis Police Department Chief Brian O'Hara wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who originally hails from the greater Minneapolis area, also released a statement on X about the shooting on Saturday morning.

"Learned from police this morning that three officers have been shot in Burnsville," Klobuchar's post read. "They were doing their jobs. They were protecting our community. John and I are praying for them and their families and the Burnsville P.D. this morning."

In the wake of the incident, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ordered that the state's flags be flown at half-mast starting at sunrise on Monday.

"Horrific news from Burnsville," a post to the governor's official X account read. "While responding to a call of a family in danger, two police officers and one firefighter lost their lives, and other officers were injured. We must never take for granted the bravery and sacrifices our police officers and first responders make every day. My heart is with their families today and the entire State of Minnesota stands with Burnsville."

What's Next?

The investigation into the shooting is currently ongoing, according to local law enforcement.

Update 2/18/24, 12:39 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Update 2/18/24, 5:03 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.