Minnesota prosecutor provides most detailed account yet of shooting deaths of 3 first responders

MINNEAPOLIS — Police investigating a potential sexual abuse case in a Minneapolis suburb found themselves in 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 that left two officers and a paramedic dead.

Dakota County Prosecutor Kathryn Keena made the disclosure in a memo, based on an investigation by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, in which she 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. Although Gooden was shot in the leg by an officer, he killed himself hours later. Seven children, ages 5 to 15, were inside.

Keena’s memo provides the most detailed explanation authorities have released yet of the confrontation. She wrote that Gooden’s girlfriend, Ashley Dyrdahl, called 911 around 1:50 a.m. and yelled, “Help me!” before Gooden hung up. The county attorney also detailed the hours of negotiations that led to the shootout that fatally wounded Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth, and injured Sergeant Adam Medlicott. Medlicott survived to speak at the memorial service for his three fallen comrades.

The county attorney concluded that the actions of Medlicott and two other officers were justified to protect their own lives, the lives of fellow officers and members of the public.

“Accordingly, all three were legally justified in using deadly force in this extremely harrowing 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 to arrest him. Gooden denied being armed but repeatedly told them there were children nearby and not to shoot because of the risk to them. Gooden expressed fear of being imprisoned and prevented from seeing them. He did not comply with repeated orders to come down and surrender.

Gooden opened fire with multiple guns from the upstairs hallway shortly before 5:30 a.m., according to body camera video, Keena wrote. Debris from the building filled the air.

Medlicott was hit in the arm. He turned and saw that Elmstrand had been wounded in the head. Medlicott provided covering fire to protect the other officers while they evacuated Elmstrand to an armored vehicle in the driveway. Ruge was hit in his bulletproof 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 hit Gooden in the thigh. The officer heard him grunt in pain.

As the paramedic tended to Elmstrand in the armored vehicle, Gooden opened fire again from an upstairs window at 5:31 a.m., hitting Ruge and Finseth, who were outside near the armored vehicle at the time. Shooting from both sides continued for about 13 minutes as an ambulance transported the four wounded men to the hospital. As Gooden leaned out a window to shoot at officers hiding behind the armored vehicle, a police sniper fired a round at Gooden, who retreated inside and stopped firing. At least 41 shots struck the vehicle.

Around 6:50 a.m., officers heard a gunshot coming from inside. One of the children inside then called 911 to report that Gooden had shot himself. The children were asked to get dressed and were safely outside by 7 a.m.

Dyrdahl spoke to one of the officers dispatched to the scene, who told Gooden and the children about possible sexual abuse. She also told them that Gooden was heavily armed and had previously threatened to “take everyone with him.”

Gooden was a convicted felon who was not allowed to own firearms. Dyrdahl was later charged in federal court with purchasing the high-caliber firearms Gooden used in the shootings, even though he knew he could not own them.