MINNEAPOLIS — Police investigating a possible sexual abuse case in a Minneapolis suburb got into a gunfight with a well-armed resident in a dark home as they tried to protect seven children inside, a prosecutor said Tuesday in a report on the shooting. in 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 officers who responded to Shannon Gooden’s home on February 18 were justified in using deadly force after he opened fire. Although Gooden was hit in the leg by an officer’s bullet, he committed suicide a few hours later. There were seven children inside, ranging in age from 5 to 15.
Keena’s memo provided the most detailed account of the confrontation authorities have yet released. She wrote that Gooden’s girlfriend, Ashley Dyrdahl, called 911 around 1:50 a.m., screaming, “Help me!” before Gooden hung up. The district attorney also described hours of negotiations that culminated in the exchange of gunfire that left Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth fatally wounded, and sergeant Adam Medlicott wounded. Medlicott survived to speak at the memorial service for his three fallen comrades.
The prosecutor concluded that Medlicott and two other officers took action to protect their own lives, the lives of their colleagues and the public.
“Therefore, all three were legally justified in using deadly force in this extremely horrifying incident,” Keena wrote.
Ruge took the lead in negotiations around 2 a.m., the prosecutor wrote. Officers saw that there were children upstairs with Gooden, so they decided to negotiate instead of rushing upstairs to arrest him. Gooden denied he was armed but repeatedly told officers that there were children nearby and that they should not shoot because of the risk to them. Gooden expressed concern that he would be taken into custody and not allowed to see them. He ignored repeated orders to come downstairs and surrender.
Gooden opened fire with multiple guns from an 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 looked back and saw that Elmstrand had been wounded in the head. Medlicott provided cover to protect other officers as they evacuated Elmstrand to an armored vehicle in the driveway. Ruge was hit in his armored vest.
Another officer saw 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 groan in pain.
As the paramedic 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. The exchange of gunfire from both sides continued for about 13 minutes as an ambulance transported the four wounded to the hospital. As Gooden leaned out a window and fired at officers taking cover behind the armored vehicle, a police sniper fired a single round at Gooden, who retreated and stopped firing. At least 41 rounds hit the vehicle.
At around 6:50 a.m., officers heard a single gunshot from inside the home. One of the children inside then called 911 to report that Gooden had committed suicide. The children were told to get dressed and they got out safely by 7 a.m.
Dyrdahl told one of the officers sent to the home she shared with Gooden and the children about possible sexual abuse. She also told them that Gooden was heavily armed and had previously threatened to “take everyone away.”
Goods was a convicted felon who was not allowed to have firearms. Dyrdahl was later indicted in federal court of buying high powered firearms that Gooden used in the shooting, despite knowing he couldn’t possess them.