Sergeant Dan Wulff
Former Minneapolis Bomb Commander

Dan joined the Minneapolis Police Department in 1991, and worked as a patrol officer in 4th precinct (North Minneapolis), as well as the Gang Unit, Homicide, Juvenile, and the Bomb Squad.

Dan was conducting a training exercise on February 9, 2005, when he suffered a blast injury that completely collapsed his carotid artery. He is permanently disabled due to the traumatic brain injury, and is unable to work.

Dan has worked very hard to learn to adapt to his injury, and do what he can. His focus has not been on himself, but on doing what he can to help others, including warning other bomb techs of the dangers of interior breaching. This is a danger that was known to military and weapons researchers, but was not communicated to the law enforcement community. The bomb school has now changed their training, as a result of what happened to Dan.

Present Status

The City of Minneapolis continues to maintain that their primary concern is to protect the taxpayers by avoiding financial liability. Council President Barb Johnson testified against legislation to help Dan. The city has not warned others of the dangers of interior breaching. Fortunately, the Bloomington Bomb Squad takes this danger seriously, and they have been teaching classes to EMS providers on recognizing blast injuries, and the other Bomb Squads and SWAT Teams around the state and the nation have taken this issue seriously.

In December 2008, we had an adminstrative work comp hearing where the city maintained that Dan was not really hurt, that he was disabled before the blast, and that he had a genetic disease that he does not have. The judge rejected all three claims, but the work comp system has holes in it that specifically leave cops and brain injured workers at a lesser level of support. The legislature did pass a bill, which Governor Pawlenty signed into law, increasing Dan's pension, but we continue to have a significant financial loss as a result of Dan's injury. So far, efforts to close the loopholes that Dan fell through, to protect other injured officers have not been successful.

We have been trying for more than two years to meet with Mayor Rybak, to discuss the impact that his policies have had on our family, but he refuses to do so. As long as the Mayor is opposed to any help for our family, getting that help is exceedingly difficult.

Contact Us

If you have left any messages with the MPD Bomb Squad since Dan's injury, Dan didn't get them, so please email.

Thank you

We would like to thank the following organizations and individuals for their help and support:

  • Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, Sen. Pat Pariseau, and Rep. Mary Murphy, and Governor Pawlenty.
  • Maj. Allen Autrey from the 55th CST. Dr. Autrey is a leading authority on blast injuries in the region, and saved Dan's life.
  • Courage Center CRP staff - the Courage Center brain injury program is fantastic, and the staff is wonderfully supportive.
  • Mark Sletta, Tim Hoeppner, and Dan Pommeranke, as well as all of the other people who helped with the benefit for Dan in 2006, and everyone who attended, and Laura's 1029 Club for hosting the benefit.
  • Minnesota 100 Club - many organizations claim to support injured cops - this one actually does with a one-time cash gift. Please donate to them if you can.
  • The Thin Blue Line of Michigan - because there are no organizations in MN to help severely injured cops navigate the Federal benefit system, we turned to this organization for help. They are currently working on our appeal for Federal Public Safety Officer Benefits. Again, if you can, please donate - they truly care.