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Memorial grows as community mourns latest first responder deaths
A day after two Burnsville police officers and one firefighter/paramedic were shot and killed, tributes poured in at city hall.
BURNSVILLE, Minn. — People have been traveling from across the region to pay tribute to three first responders who were shot and killed in Burnsville, but many don’t have to look far for a reason why.
“My son is a Shakopee police officer, so these sort of tragedies in our community really hit close to home,” said Kate McCarten, adding that her son is also just one year younger than fallen Burnsville Police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge.
“They all feel so young,” McCarten said. “They put their life on the line every day, and I’m sure every day they go to work expecting to come home, knowing there is a possibility that they won’t.”
“They run into danger when everybody is running out, and when we call, they come as fast as they can,” said Raphael Harden, who drove from Richfield to hand deliver flowers.
Harden arrived at the memorial just as a large gathering of Burnsville officers and their families gathered outside to see the memorial and remember their fellow officers.
“Thank you for your family’s service,” Harden said, approaching some of the officers. “We appreciate everything you guys do.”
It’s not the first time Harden has shown her appreciation. She also helped line the procession route for the fallen officers on Sunday and says she visited several memorials for the 11 officers and first responders killed in the line of duty across Minnesota and neighboring regions in the last year.
“It’s too many,” Harden said. “And it’s like we shouldn’t be here. This (memorial) shouldn’t be here.”
Before this, local EMT’s couldn’t fathom being here.
“We are covering another city’s territory while that city cover’s Burnsville to help out,” said Arriel Davis, and EMT for M Health Fairview who stopped to deliver flowers before her shift on Monday. “It’s all hands on deck. They need time. Burnsville needs time and we’re going to give them as much resources as we can.”
Davis didn’t personally know Adam Finseth, the fire department paramedic who was killed during the shootout on Sunday, but she says the loss is still personal.
“It’s really close to home,” Davis said. “It’s people that do what we do, and it’s people we interact with on a daily basis. Until it actually happens it’s like, it could happen… this could happen at any time. It’s so sad.”
But that sadness won’t stop her – or anyone else here – from offering their support.
“I’m so proud of my son, so I can’t let that get in the way of the good that he’s trying to do,” McCarten said. “I’m just so proud of him. I went to bed last night thinking, there’s a mom just like me who went to bed last night without her son, so my heart goes out to them.”
In the meantime, they all simply hope their show of love and support also hits close to home.
“They appreciate it, I know they do,” Davis said. “Thank you.”
Family told 13News that 39-year-old Derek Sink visited a tanning bed on Friday and was found dead there Monday morning.
INDIANAPOLIS — UPDATE: Planet Fitness has released the following statement:
“We were deeply saddened by the passing of one of our members, and the franchise owner is working with the local authorities in their investigation,” said Chief Corporate Affairs Officer McCall Gosselin. “At Planet Fitness, we have robust operational brand protocols in place, as the safety and well-being of our members is our top priority. We are working closely with our local franchisee to ensure they are upholding those brand protocols.”
13News reached out to the Marion County Health Department and the Better Business Bureau. Both tell us they are aware of IMPD’s investigation, but are not launching any of their own at this time.
Police are conducting death investigation at a south Indianapolis gym after a man was found dead in a tanning bed Monday morning.
A sign on the door of the Planet Fitness on Hardegan Street, near U.S. 31 and County Line Road, Nov. 11 said, “tanning is currently unavailable.”
Family confirmed to 13News that 39-year-old Derek Sink went into a tanning bed on Friday, Nov. 8 and was found dead there Monday morning. Family said Sink struggled with drugs and a needle was found in the room with him.
The cause of Sink’s death has not yet been determined.
Sink’s aunt said they reported him missing on Friday. She said he was wearing an ankle monitor that helped investigators determine he never left the gym.
A woman who was at Planet Fitness that morning, before law enforcement showed up, said she and other members noticed a foul smell in the building that got worse near the tanning rooms. Now, she said she’s wondering how something like this could happen.
“The tanning bed has a door, I believe, but still, why are we not concerned that the tanning bed has been closed for three days, potentially?” Elizabeth Len asked.
Sink’s family called him a loving person. They said they hope to see stricter policies on cleaning and an end-of-day checklist for staff to prevent this from happening again.
13News reached out to IMPD and Planet Fitness. Police could only confirm they were investigating a death at that location and did not elaborate on the circumstances.
A spokesperson for Planet Fitness said they’re looking into what happened with the local franchise owner.
The announcement came just weeks after Minneapolis resident Davis Moturi was shot by his neighbor John Sawchak after a months-long dispute.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Police and the Minneapolis NAACP announced a strengthened partnership Tuesday to address neighbor disputes in the city.
The announcement came just weeks after Minneapolis resident Davis Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor John Sawchak after a months-long dispute.
“Mr. Moturi called the police several times. He did everything he was supposed to do. Unfortunately, the Minneapolis Police Department alone was not able to provide that help for him,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said.
Police say the department receives more than 2,000 neighbor/tenant complaints a year, which amounts to about 45 calls a week.
Chief O’Hara says these cases are challenging for police to deal with on their own.
“These are often complicated cases and all of them are difficult for police to deal with, particularly those that are civil and do not rise to criminal issues or violence,” O’Hara said.
NAACP Minneapolis President Cynthia Wilson says community groups have long been involved in solving neighborly disputes, but a stronger partnership with police will help community leaders reach more residents who need help.
“This initiative was created to give more options,” Wilson said.
“We’re not going to solve every situation, but we are being proactive.”
Wilson says community leaders are still working out the finer details of how this strengthened partnership will work.
She says residents who are experiencing problems can still call the police for help, or one of several community groups that are involved in this new partnership.
“You’ve got social workers, you got community crime prevention, you got community engagement, inspectors, there are so many different arms to this that will allow us to impact the community effectively,” Wilson said.
Some of these community groups involved in this strengthened partnership include the Minneapolis Unity Community Mediation Team, NAACP Minneapolis, Indigenous Protector Movement, Little Earth Residents Association, New Salem Baptist Church, Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center, Voice of East Africa Women, Nuestra Lucha and Quorum.
Wilson says she and other community leaders are also looking for volunteers and mediators who may be interested in joining their cause.
Hours after this announcement was made, the Minneapolis City Council listened to concerns from the community during a scheduled public comment period Tuesday afternoon.
Dozens of community members showed up at the meeting to raise concerns about how Minneapolis Police handled Moturi’s complaints regarding his neighbor John Sawchak.
Some community members demanded changes such as asking Chief O’Hara and Mayor Jacob Frey to step down from their positions.
Other community members urged the Minneapolis City Council to wait until MPD’s internal investigation is complete before making any significant changes to the department.
During a press event Tuesday Chief O’Hara said the internal investigation into the Moturi case is still ongoing and there is no timeline for when the investigation will be complete.
The suit follows Minnesota-based UnitedHealth’s acquisition of LHC Group Inc., another home health and hospice provider.
MINNETONKA, Minn. — The Justice Department is suing to block UnitedHealth Group’s $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys, citing concerns the combination would hinder access to home health and hospice services in the U.S.
The antitrust complaint was filed in Maryland federal court Tuesday. In a statement, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the government is challenging UnitedHealth and Amedisys’ proposed merger because “patients and their families experiencing some of the most difficult moments of their lives deserve affordable, high quality care options.”
The suit follows Minnesota-based UnitedHealth’s acquisition of LHC Group Inc., another home health and hospice provider. Since that transaction’s completion last year, the Justice Department said, UnitedHealth and Amedisys have emerged as the two largest providers of home health and hospice care in the country.
The department argues that eliminating competition between UnitedHealth and Amedisys “would harm patients who receive home health and hospice services, insurers who contract for home health services, and nurses who provide home health and hospice services.”
Four states’ attorneys general — from Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey and New York — are joining the Justice Department in the antitrust complaint.
UnitedHealth is seeking to add Amedisys to Optum, its subsidiary that provides care as well as pharmacy and technology services. Optum said Tuesday the acquisition “would be pro-competitive and further innovation.” It said it plans to “vigorously defend (itself) against the DOJ’s overreaching interpretation of the antitrust laws.”
Louisiana-based Amedisys added that it also remains committed to the deal, which it believes “will create more opportunities to deliver quality, compassionate and value-based care to patients and their families.”
Beyond its Optum unit, UnitedHealth Group also runs one of the nation’s largest health insurers, UnitedHealthcare. Last month, UnitedHealth reported a third-quarter net income of $6.06 billion on revenue of $100.82 billion.
