Honoring Burnsville’s Fallen Heroes

I’ve had the opportunity to serve on the Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association (LEMA) Board of Directors for the past six years. LEMA is an all-volunteer run organization that was established back in 1974. The 14 board members and 35 Honor Guard members represent Law Enforcement Officers, survivors of fallen officers, and Law Enforcement supporters.
This organization works selflessly and tirelessly to support the families and survivors of Minnesota fallen officers. When you see an agency’s honor guard posting colors or when you see law enforcement honors at a funeral, they were likely trained by LEMA. LEMA also holds an honor guard camp each year at Camp Ripley where honor guard groups from agencies across the country come to train. Nobody does it better than Minnesota’s LEMA Honor Guard.
Josh Owen’s funeral in Pope County last year was one of the largest ever organized by LEMA — until last week when we helped honor three fallen Burnsville heroes at one ceremony in Eden Prairie.
We had nearly 8,000 people in attendance at Grace Church, mostly law enforcement and fire departments from all over the state and region. It sounds like there were over 1,000 attending another large Burnsville church that was broadcasting the service live too.
We had officers from all over the country there to pay respects — we saw officers from New York Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Florida State Patrol, a few agencies from Arizona, and many more. I’m sure there were as many fire departments represented there too. An incredible show of respect and support for these families, this community, and our state.
This funeral was a huge challenge because we had three families to take care of, three heroes to honor, from two different professions — law enforcement and fire. Not to mention the fact that with three fallen heroes we needed to find a church large enough to accommodate such a huge ceremony.
Grace Church’s sanctuary, which holds just over 4,000 people, looked huge until we quickly filled it up. I’ve never been in a church that big. I’m told that it’s full every Sunday, which is heartwarming and encouraging in the times we live in.
Burnsville Police Officers Matthew Ruge and Paul Elmstrand, and Burnsville Firefighter/Medic Adam Finseth, responded with other officers to a domestic disturbance where 7 kids were present in the home. They negotiated with the suspect for hours, who insisted there were no weapons in the house. At one point, the suspect came storming out of the bedroom he was barricaded in firing a rifle at the officers.
He continued to fire at them after they retreated outside while others were running up to help the wounded — that’s when firefighter Adam Finseth ran up to help and was shot and killed. Unarmed and imbedded as a medic in their SWAT Team, Adam’s courage and dedication to the team that day will never be forgotten.
The shooting went on for a while before the suspect turned the gun on himself, ending this horrible incident — but not before three heroes were dead and a fourth hero shot and wounded.
This tragic case is a reminder to all of us who serve — no call is routine. Domestic disturbances are some of the most dangerous calls our men and women respond to, common calls we deal with all the time. This incident also reminds us how incredible these men and women are who serve — both law enforcement and firefighters.
They are your neighbors, the ones you sit next to at high school sporting events, the ones you see at the grocery store, the local restaurant, the ones you see in church. They are ordinary people willing to take extraordinary risks, willing to risk all to help people they often don’t even know. They believe in service before self. They are supported by families who also take on this calling, who make incredible sacrifices and risk all for us, for our safety. Make no mistake, when you take on this calling and the responsibility that goes with it, your family takes it on as well.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office was well represented with patrol deputies, investigations, Sheriff’s Posse, and Sheriff’s Chaplains in attendance to honor these fallen heroes. I know we had local firefighters attend the local ceremony in Rochester for Adam.
Next time you see your local law enforcement, or firefighter, please be sure to thank them for what they do. We are blessed to have some incredible men and women serving here in Dodge County, along with some amazing law enforcement and firefighter families willing to support them.
Please keep the three Burnsville Families, their agencies, and their city in your thoughts and prayers as they try and process their incredible loss.
 
Thank you.
Your Sheriff,
Scott