Minnesota officers who were killed in Washington, DC

Hundreds of police officers and their families from Minnesota are in Washington, DC for the National Police Week to honor the cuts recently killed in service.

The names of almost 350 died officers from the USA – including five from Minnesota – were read out loud in a vigil in the National Mall on Tuesday.

“It is just a really powerful and moving thing, and they could see the emotions in the eyes of the people,” Burnsville Police Dep. Boss Matt Smith told WCCO News. “We waited a long time for this week and this event to honor Matt and Paul and Adam.”

The police officers of Burnsville, Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, together with Adam Finseth from Feuerwemann's paramedics, were shot and killed in February 2024. Other Minnesota officers who are remembered Jesse Branch from Red Lake Nation Police; National Park Service Ranger Kevin Grossheim; And Jamal Mitchell, Minneapolis police officer.

“The pomp and the fact are simply incredible,” said Smith. “And everything is done to honor the fallen and show the family members who are still here that they will not be forgotten and we will take care of them.”

Kevin Rofidal, a retired police engraver from Edina, who is now in the brotherly order of the police police, said WCCO News that the trip to DC on May 15th at 11 a.m.

“The second piece of it is that there are some therapeutic agents and is with families and other survivors who have experienced something similar,” Rofidel told WCCO News before the delegation left. “We learned a lot. We learned a lot because they learned from the police, survivors and PTSDs through suicide, and it is finally addressed.”