DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines Police Department is shedding light on just how dangerous domestic calls are after two officers and a firefighter were killed in Minnesota over the weekend.
“Just in the last three days in the nation, there have been 11 officers shot in the line of duty, and three of them have died," DMPD Sgt. Paul Parizek told Local 5.
Ofcs. Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge of the Burnsville Police Department were called to a Minnesota home Sunday on a domestic abuse call. A man shot at first responders from inside the home, killing both officers and firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth.
"The unpredictability of a domestic situation is usually where the danger comes in. You know, emotions are high. People are so invested in these relationships," Parizek said.
When a domestic call comes in, law enforcement must respond to the unknown. In recent years, more and more of these calls have ended with deadly outcomes.
At least eight police officers across various Midwest states — Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, and Wisconsin — have been killed in the line of duty in the last 12 months, according to Parizek.
“The unique thing about our job is we know that we might come to work and never go home. But we keep coming back every day," he said.
In a single year, Des Moines Police respond to more than 10,000 domestic calls. The department told Local 5 one DMPD officer was injured after responding to a domestic abuse situation Saturday after the suspect decided to "run and fight."
While the majority end up with a peaceful outcome rather than violence, the risk factor is not lost on the men and women in blue.
“There's going to be some vulnerability in our business," Parizek said. "And we understand that and that's the risk that we're willing to take to keep our neighborhoods safe.”