By Laura French
APPLETON, Wis. — The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a line of duty death report detailing the fatal shooting of a Wisconsin firefighter during an EMS call in 2019.
Appleton Firefighter Mitchell Lundgaard, 36, was fatally shot by a patient on May 15, 2019, after responding with a private ambulance crew to a report of a person having a seizure on a bus. An Appleton police officer and a civilian were also shot and wounded in the incident, and the shooter was shot and killed by police.
The NIOSH report details the shooting and contributing factors in the line-of-duty death, and outlines key recommendations for scene safety and responding to overdoses. The patient had been administered naloxone prior to the shooting, and produced a concealed handgun after walking off the bus with first responders, according to the report.
“First responders and agencies who deliver medical assistance to patients who overdose should train staff on standard operating procedures (SOPs) for naloxone administration, including an understanding of the objective of naloxone therapy and the possibility, albeit unusual, of agitation and combativeness from persons after receiving naloxone,” the report states.
The report listed the presence of multiple drugs, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, in the shooter’s system as a contributing factor in the fatal shooting, and recommended fire, EMS and police agencies develop SOPs addressing the possibility of polydrug overdoses. Other recommendations included implementing training that provides more detailed guidance on scene safety and developing specific guidelines on when patients should be patted down, noting the lack of a complete search of the patient as another contributing factor in Lundgaard’s death.
Lundgaard was a 14-year veteran of the Appleton Fire Department, a husband and a father of three. The wounded Appleton police officer and civilian, who had been taken as a hostage by the shooter, were treated for their injuries and have since recovered.
Read the full NIOSH report below: