Two Minnesota police officers and an emergency worker were shot and killed during an hours-long standoff with a man who had barricaded himself in his home with his family, according to reports.
Police officers Matthew Rouge, 27, Paul Elmstrand, 27, and EMT and firefighter Adam Finseth, 40, were arrested early Sunday morning from a home in the quiet Burnsville neighborhood, according to reports. He was shot and killed while trying to rescue his family. star tribune.
Around 2:30 a.m., authorities responded to a domestic violence call about a man who had barricaded himself in his home with his family, a woman and seven children.
When police arrived, they found the man had “multiple firearms” inside him, and officers at the scene described him as “dangerous” and “refusing to come out.” did.
About three hours later, gunfire was heard and two police officers descended.
When Finseth tried to approach to save them, he too was shot.
About an hour later, another gunshot was heard inside the home and it was determined that the suspect had taken his own life, according to reports.
According to the Tribune, around 6:55 a.m., dispatchers said, “We received a call from inside that the father was collapsed.”
“He’s not breathing. He’s in the bedroom…he just shot himself in the head,” they said.
The family was safely removed from the home soon after, according to reports. CBS.
Throughout Sunday, hundreds of police officers stood guard outside Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis, where the victims’ bodies were taken.
“We must never take for granted the courage and sacrifice that first responders make every day,” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said in a statement.
“Today, the families of these public servants received the call they knew was a possibility but hoped would never come. My heart is with their grieving families. Minnesota. The state stands ready to help in any way we can. This is a tragic loss for our state.”
The governor ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on Monday.
Elmstrand had been with the Burnsville Police Department since 2017, Rouge since 2020, and Finseth since 2019.
