Sgt. Adam Medlicott, wounded during standoff, remembers fallen Burnsville comrades at memorial

Burnsville Sgt. Adam Medlicott, who was injured in the line of duty by the gunman who killed three of his colleagues, remembered fellow first responders for their bravery in a speech at the Eden Prairie memorial service Wednesday, his first public comments since the attack.

Burnsville officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, both 27, and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth, 40, died Feb. 18 after an hourslong standoff. Medlicott, who was shot, was released from the hospital on Feb. 19.

He supervised Elmstrand and Ruge on nights and was standing with them on their final call, Medlicott told the packed auditorium at Grace Church in Eden Prarie.

He was one of Elmstrand’s field training officers and said he quickly realized how smart and thoughtful he was. Elmstrand would often enter Medlicott’s office uninvited, making himself at home and asking questions. He was considering applying for an open sergeant position. Elmstrand would have made an excellent sergeant, Medlicott told the Burnsville chief in the audience.

“I’ll miss our midnight talks, Paul,” he said.

Just after Ruge finished field training, he and Medlicott were dispatched to a woman set to start addiction treatment who was refusing to leave. Ruge and another young officer worked through the call, and it was a disaster, Medlicott recalled.

“After the call, Matt walked up to me and said, ‘Thanks, Adam. Man, I really F’d that one up.’ Like any other cop, I told him, ‘Yeah, you really did.’”

He also told Ruge he was young and new to the profession. He would learn and grow and get better.

“I was standing next to him on his last call. But now it was Matt who was doing all of the talking. I believed in him as a crisis negotiator, and everyone here should know, he was doing an amazing job of it. You can’t reason with evil,” Medlicott said. “You didn’t F this one up, Matt.”

While Medlicott did not know Finseth well, he said he would be forever thankful for him.

“I saw you run into the line of fire to save me and my guys. You’re the bravest person I’ve ever known.” he said. “Rest easy, brothers.”