Duluth firefighter found guilty of third-degree assault

A firefighter has been found guilty of assaulting a woman in July 2020, after a dispute on a Duluth trail about his off-leash dogs.

Monday, Judge Theresa Neo convicted 50-year-old Conrad John Sunde IV, of a felony count of third-degree assault. Sunde waived his right to a jury trial, in favor of a court trial. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

The incident happened around 8:00am on the Traverse Trail. A 65-year-old woman encountered Sunde riding his bike, with three off-leashed dogs with him. The woman said she asked Sunde to leash his dogs, which prompted an assault that left her with face injuries.

Sunde was arrested in 2020, and was issued citations for fifth-degree assault and dog off leash the same day of the alleged assault. That same week, he was put on a 30-day administrative leave by the Duluth Fire Department.

Chief Administrative Officer Noah Schuchman, made this written statement regarding the case to WDIO News:

“Conrad Sunde is currently employed by Duluth as a firefighter. Our firefighters are required to have a valid Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certificate and State of Minnesota firefighter license. Mr. Sunde’s felony was promptly reported to the boards that regulate EMT certification and firefighter licensure – the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Board (EMSRB), National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), and Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education (MBFTE). Any of those agencies may suspend or revoke Mr. Sunde’s EMT certificate or firefighter license. How these regulatory agencies will rule, or when, is outside of the City of Duluth’s control and we would refer further inquiries to them on this matter.”

Sunde, of Proctor, has been employed by the Duluth Fire Department since January 2001 and was named the city’s Firefighter of the Year in 2011.