Grieving continues today for the two police officers and an EMT who were gunned down in the line of duty just over one week ago. Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand, 27, Matthew Ruge, 27, and firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth, 40, were shot Feb. 18 while responding to a domestic violence call.
Thousands are expected to attend a public memorial service at Grace Church in Eden Prairie and line the procession route before and after.
The public service gets underway at 11:00 Wednesday morning with a livestream available on WCCORadio.com or on YouTube.
Members of the public are invited to line the route of the procession following the funeral as it makes its way from Eden Prairie to Burnsville.
The procession will depart Grace Church and go east on Pioneer Trail to Hwy. 169, then south on Hwy. 169 to Hwy. 13. They will then proceed east on Hwy. 13 to County Road 11, pass Burnsville Fire Station No. 2 and the Burnsville Police Department. Then it will head pass Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, which will be open for those who want to watch a livestream of the service as well. After passing the church, the procession will conclude at the northbound ramp to I-35W.
You can see a full map of the procession route here.
Traffic in Eden Prairie and Bloomington are expected be impacted by the procession. WCCO Radio Traffic Reporter Jerry Peterson says early afternoon to mid-afternoon will be the primary times too avoid the area.
"It's going to be a busy afternoon and it's hard to say how long everything will last into the afternoon," he explains.
Department of Public Safety officials said Tuesday that they expected the full procession to last two or more hours. The City of Eden Prairie has closed several roads in the area between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District said they were calling off school Wednesday due to the processional.
CLOSURES:
- Pioneer Trail from Eden Prairie Road to Mitchell Road will be fully closed
- Southbound Mitchell Road will be closed to through traffic from Blakeney Road to Pioneer Trail
- Mitchell Road will be fully closed south of Pioneer Trail
- Eden Prairie Road will be fully closed from Pioneer Trail south through Spring Road to Prospect Road
- Charlson Road will be closed to through traffic from Liatris Lane to Spring Road
- During the procession, crossing Pioneer Trail from any streets east of Grace Church will not be possible
Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth Kautz told WCCO's Adam Carter that there are opportunities to show support before, during and after the service.
"We ask that people also take the opportunity to line the processional route," Kautz says. "This is a very caring community where people care for one another. When you have an event like this, and you see people coming from all over the metropolitan area, and some from out of state, it humbles me."
The scene Wednesday will be a familiar one for Jennifer Lindemer who lost her husband, Minnesota State trooper Shawn Silvera in the line of duty in 2005. She talked with WCCO's Vineeta Sawkar last week.
"Grief is always there, it's something that's incorporated into your life and I've learned over these years that joy and pain can coexist," says Lindemer. "I've learned it's something that never goes away."