Watch the memorial service for Burnsville first responders

Molly Guthrey, Mara H. Gottfried, Nick Ferraro, Pioneer Press
Updated ·5 min read

A public memorial service for three slain first responders drew thousands to a church in Eden Prairie.

Watch video of the service, which was livestreamed at 11 a.m. Wednesday:

Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, both 27, and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth, 40, died when a gunman opened fire on them as the first responders tried to assist a family during a domestic incident in the Dakota County suburb on Sunday, Feb. 18.

Burnsville police Sgt. Adam Medlicott, who was also shot by the gunman and is recovering, was one of the memorial service’s speakers.

Here is the order of the service detailed in the memorial’s program, as provided by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety:

Order of Service

Processional

Posting of Colors

Welcome & Invocation: Chaplain Mark Patrick

Speakers: Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, Sgt. Adam Medlicott

Music: Officer Down, Hannah Ellis

Eulogies: Officer Mueller, Deputy Chief Smith, Captain Johannsen, Chief Schwartz, Chief Jungmann

Scripture Readings:

  • Lamentations 3:17-24, Michael Ruge

  • Romans 12:9-21, Mike Seafolk

  • John 15:12-17, Brad Finseth

Meditation: Chaplain Mark Patrick

Music: “There will be a Light”

Prayers & Benediction: Chaplain Mark Patrick

Firefighters Prayer

Bell Service

Music: “Amazing Grace”

Flag Fold & Presentation

Last Call

Retire Colors

Recessional

Outdoor Honors

Firing of Three Volleys | Taps | Fly Over

Pallbearers:

  • Nathan Elzen, Ryan Schaefer, Dan Wical, Riley Yule, Pete Mueller, Andrew Forsman

  • Austin Smith, Eric Yngsdal, Mark Richardson, Lucas Kammerer, Andy Atwater, Andrew Slama, John Wisniewski, Tim Wiebusch, Tim Nordstrom

  • Erik Johnson, Pat Cassidy, Carissa Elmstrand, Nate Mortenson, Erik Castruita, Gabby Castruita, Carlos Castruita, Brianna Miller, Fil Gilbert, Mike Seafolk, Caleb Gieske

Here are some additional moments from the day:

Early Wednesday, the sun cast a peach glow as it rose in a chilled blue sky above Grace Church in Eden Prairie. Inside the sanctuary, red and blue flowers adorned three large portraits of the slain Burnsville three: Police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and paramedic/firefighter Adam Finseth.

Just after 7:30 a.m., two military personnel carried U.S. and Minnesota flags onto the altar. Large portraits of Elmstrand, Ruge, and Finseth were displayed on the church altar, which is adorned with red and white flowers. There is firefighter gear on the altar.

Outside Grace Church, small U.S. flags were dug into the ground, fluttering in the icy wind.

At the main entrance of Grace Church, firefighters with the Burnsville and Savage fire departments used ladder trucks to raise a large U.S. flag over Mitchell Road in Eden Prairie.

A sea of law enforcement and other emergency workers walked under the flag to file into the church.

Burnsville police and firefighters and their families filed into the church just after 9:30 a.m. Busloads of city employees soon arrived.

Grace Church filled to capacity before the service began; people were then asked to watch the service on the live broadcast. About 10,000 people attended the service.

Caskets were brought into Grace Church around 10:15 a.m.

Fifteen miles away from Grace Church, a church in Burnsville opened its doors to welcome people who gathered there to watch the live broadcast.

Inside Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, located at 13801 Fairview Drive in Burnsville, about 300 people watched the livestream from Eden Prairie.

As people entered the church, four West St. Paul police officers greeted them just inside the doors.

Here, the Minnesota EMS Honor Guard, as well as honor guard members from the Ramsey County sheriff’s office and Rochester, Minn., police stood at attention.

On a table just inside the church’s doors, a framed sign with the U.S. flag printed on the background said:

“Honoring Matthew Henke Ruge, Feb. 2, 1997-Feb.18, 2024. Adam Loren Finseth, March 12, 1983-Feb. 18, 2024. Paul Henrik Elmstrand, Dec. 29, 1996-Feb. 18, 2024.”

A poster made by a child was also on display with a handwritten message:

“We (heart symbol) the BFD and BPD.”

Next to the child’s message was a large American flag comprised of red, white and blue flowers.

Steps away, in the church’s sanctuary, large photos of Ruge, Finseth and Elmstrand were on display at the front of Prince of Peace’s sanctuary. The photos were surrounded by candles and flowers.

About 20,000 watched the livestream of the service.

At Grace Church, thousands of people came to this space to “grieve the loss and honor the memories” of Elmstrand, Ruge, and Finseth, said Chaplain Mark Patrick.

To the people attending in person, to the people in Burnsville and to the people watching elsewhere, the families of the first responsders had a message:

They “are grateful for your presence here today,” the chaplain said.

“We were there for seven children,” Mendicott said during the service. “Nothing could be more honorable. Rest easy, brothers.”

Mendicott called Ruge a skilled negotiator.

But, Mendicott said, “you can’t reason with evil.”

“These brave men took an oath to keep the community safe and that’s exactly what they did,” said Burnsville Police Chief Tanya Schwartz.

Burnsville Deputy Police Chief Matt Smith told the crowd he knows it’s cliché, but he also said it’s true: “These three men really were the nicest people.”

“Officer Down,” a song by Hannah Ellis, was played during the service.

Written about Ellis’ cousin, officer Daniel Ellis, who was killed in the line of duty, the song is told from his wife’s perspective.

It includes the line:

“They called me and told me
“It’s my officer down …”

First responders folded flags for each of the men and “Amazing Grace” played.

People began ushering out of Grace Church about 1:15 p.m. for honors outside the church. Three helicopters — from the Minnesota State Patrol, Life Link and North Memorial Health Air Care — flew overhead and there was a 21-gun salute from the roof of the church.

A procession from Grace Church in Eden Prairie made its way to Burnsville and took nearly 90 minutes to pass the Burnsville police department, where people watched holding American flags, saluting and putting their hands over their hearts.

There were more than 1,400 vehicles in the procession, including police and fire vehicles, ambulances, and buses carrying Elmstrand, Ruge and Finseth’s families and people from various departments.

Read more from our live updates from Burnsville and Eden Prairie.

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