WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN) announced they introduced a resolution to honor Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth who were killed in the line of duty, and Sergeant Adam Medlicott who was injured and hospitalized. In addition, the resolution recognizes law enforcement and first responders in Minnesota and across the country for their dedication to protecting and serving their communities. Craig leads the resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives which is also co-sponsored by U.S. Representatives Brad Finstad (R-MN), Dean Phillips (D-MN), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), and Pete Stauber (R-MN).
“Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth, and Sergeant Adam Medlicott are heroes who selflessly responded to the call for help,” said Klobuchar. “This resolution honors their bravery and recognizes the dedication of our country’s law enforcement and first responders.”
“Since I heard the news, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about the sacrifices made by the first responders who lost their lives, officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth, and about Sergeant Adam Medlicott as he recovers from his injuries,” said Smith. “Every day they left their families and put their lives on the line to go to work and protect the Burnsville community. I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. This resolution can’t take away their pain and grief but is one small way that we can honor their sacrifices and uplift their dedication to protecting their neighbors.”
“There are no words to describe the void that this loss has left – for their families, Minnesota’s law enforcement community and for the city of Burnsville. Nothing we say today will bring Paul, Matthew and Adam back,” said Craig. “But these three men are heroes, and we must honor their lives by giving the police officers and first responders who keep our communities safe the support they need to do the job.”
Full text of the resolution is available HERE and below:
Whereas Burnsville Police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth died in the line of duty on February 18, 2024, while responding to a domestic situation in Burnsville, Minnesota;
Whereas Officer Paul Elmstrand dedicated over 6 years of service to the Burnsville Police Department, joined the department in 2017 as a Community Service Officer and was promoted to Officer in 2019, and served as part of the department’s mobile command staff, peer team, honor guard, and field training unit;
Whereas Officer Matthew Ruge dedicated over 3 years of service to the Burnsville Police Department, joining the department in 2020, where he was a physical evidence officer and a member of the crisis negotiation team;
Whereas Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth dedicated 5 years of service to the Burnsville Fire Department, served as a water rescue trainer and on Burnsville’s Health and Wellness Committee, and was an Army veteran serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom;
Whereas Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth will be remembered as heroes who protected their community and loved their families and friends;
Whereas Police Sergeant Adam Medlicott was injured and hospitalized while responding to the call; and
Whereas Sergeant Adam Medlicott has served with the Burnsville Police Department since 2014 in various roles, including as a patrol officer, drug recognition specialist, and field training officer, and was promoted to sergeant in 2022: Now therefore be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) expresses deep condolences to the families and colleagues of Burnsville, Minnesota, Police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and whose sacrifice will not be forgotten;
(2) honors the bravery of Police Sergeant Adam Medlicott;
(3) recognizes all of the countless selfless and heroic actions carried out by local law enforcement and first responders;
(4) expresses strong support for law enforcement and first responders in Minnesota and across the United States who protect and serve their communities; and
(5) acknowledges the importance of honoring and remembering fallen law enforcement and first responders killed in the line of duty.
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