Minnesota prosecutor provides most detailed report yet on gunshot deaths of three paramedics

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Police investigating a possible sexual abuse case in a Minneapolis suburb got into a shootout with a well-armed resident in a darkened home as they tried to protect seven children inside, a prosecutor said Tuesday in a report on the shootings, which Two police officers and a paramedic were killed.

Dakota County Attorney Kathryn Keena made the revelation in a memo, based on an investigation by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which concluded that Burnsville police officers who responded to Shannon Gooden’s home on Feb. 18 were justified in using deadly force after he opened fire. Gooden was struck in the leg by an officer’s bullet but committed suicide several hours later. Seven children, ages 5 to 15, were in the home.

Keena’s memo contained the most detailed statement authorities have released to date about the confrontation. She wrote that Gooden’s girlfriend Ashley Dyrdahl called 911 at about 1:50 a.m. and yelled “Help me!” before Gooden ended the call. The district attorney also detailed the hours-long negotiations that ended with the shootout that fatally wounded Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and Burnsville firefighter and paramedic Adam Finseth, and injured Sergeant Adam Medlicott. Medlicott survived to speak at the memorial service for his three fallen comrades.

The district attorney concluded that the actions of Medlicott and two other officers were justified in protecting their own lives, those of their colleagues and those of the public.

“Accordingly, all three were legally justified in using deadly force in this extremely horrific incident,” Keena wrote.

Ruge took the lead in negotiations around 2 a.m., the prosecutor wrote. Officers noticed there were children upstairs with Gooden, so they decided to negotiate rather than rush upstairs to arrest him. Gooden denied being armed but repeatedly told them there were children nearby and they should not shoot because of the danger to them. Gooden expressed fear that he would be detained and prevented from seeing them. He did not comply with repeated requests to come downstairs and surrender.

According to body camera footage, Gooden opened fire with multiple weapons from the upstairs hallway shortly before 5:30 a.m., Keena wrote. Debris from the building hung in the air.

Medlicott was hit in the arm. He looked back and saw that Elmstrand was wounded in the head. Medlicott provided covering fire to protect other officers as they evacuated Elmstrand to an armored vehicle in the driveway. Ruge was hit in his armored vest.

Another officer could see Gooden’s legs at the top of the stairs and heard him reload. The officer fired several shots, one of which struck Gooden in the thigh. The officer heard him moan in pain.

While the medic tended to Elmstrand at the armored vehicle, Gooden opened fire again at 5:31 a.m. from an upstairs window, hitting both Ruge and Finseth, who were outside the armored vehicle at the time. Fire from both sides continued for about 13 minutes while an ambulance took the four injured to a hospital. As Gooden leaned out a window and fired at the officers taking cover behind the armored vehicle, a police sniper fired a bullet at Gooden, who retreated inside and stopped firing. At least 41 shots struck the vehicle.

At around 6:50 a.m., officers heard a single gunshot from inside. One of the children inside then called 911 and reported that Gooden had committed suicide. The children were told to get dressed, and they safely exited the building at 7 a.m.

Dyrdahl reported possible sexual abuse to one of the police officers dispatched to the home where she lived with Gooden and the children. She also told them that Gooden was heavily armed and had previously threatened to “take everyone away.”

Gooden was a convicted felon who was not allowed to own firearms. Dyrdahl was later charged in federal court with Purchase of high-performance weapons which Gooden used in the shootings, even though he knew he could not possess it.