BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Two Burnsville police officers and a firefighter on SWAT team paramedic duty were killed — shot dead — in a six-hour stand-off with a man holed up in a house with firearms and a large cache of ammunition.  The confrontation was declared over about 8 a.m., when authorities found the barricaded man dead inside the house. Meanwhile, family members, including seven children ranging in age from 2 to 15, were evacuated safely from the house. The confrontation was on a leafy residential street in the south Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville. Dead were:

Paul Elmstrand. Age 27. Joined Burnsville Police Department in 2017 as a community service officer. Promoted to officer in 2019. A member of the mobile command staff and field training unit.

Adam Finseth. Age 40. A Burnsville firefighter and SWAT paramedic since 2019. Previously with fire departments in Savage and Hastings. A native of Rochester and a graduate of John Marshall High School.

Matthew Ruge. Age 27. Joined the Burnsville Police Department in 2020. A physical evidence officer and a member of Department’s crisis negotiations team.  Held a 2018 degree in law enforcement from Minnesota State-Mankato. Also a graduate of Wabasha-Kellogg High School.

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Man barricaded in house. His name was not released immediately.

Police went to the house, in the 12000 block of 33rd Avenue, about 1:50 a.m. This was in response to a 911 call from the address about a domestic situation. What happened next hasn’t been confirmed in detail by police agencies, but fragmented accounts from various sources suggest this sequence: The first officers to the scene realized a heavily armed man had barricaded himself inside with family. The family included several children. The officers called for back-up. Dispatched were an armored vehicle, a SWAT team sharp-shooters, and negotiators. As police established a perimeter, there was gunfire from the house. During negotiations, police determined the man in the house was suicidal. Over the next few hours, shots were fired from several places in the house, both the first and second floors.. About 5:30 a.m.  Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand and Adam Finseth were shot.  A paramedic firefighter, Matthew Ruge, went to their aid and also was shot. All three died.  A fourth uniformed officer, Adam Medlicott, was shot too. His wounds turned out to be  sustainable.