Two St. Paul police officers have died — one unexpectedly and the other after battling cancer.
“The last 12 hours have not been kind to our St. Paul Police Department family,” Chief Axel Henry wrote in a Friday email to the department. “I’m sorry to be writing you with more devastating news.”
Officer Eric McArthur, 45, was at home early Friday when “it appears he suffered a heart attack,” Henry wrote.
On Thursday, Don Grundhauser passed away. He was a sergeant who had to retire early from the St. Paul Police Department due to his cancer diagnosis.
“Our hearts are shattered as we share that our Donny has passed away,” his wife, Kelly Grundhauser, wrote on his CaringBridge site Thursday.
“Donny fought the hardest battle of his life against stage 4 colon cancer. He faced it with courage, faith, and so much love for his family. Even as the cancer spread through his body he kept showing up for us with strength, resilience and humor. He never stopped trying to make memories. He never stopped loving us. He never gave up hope.”
Officer Eric McArthur
McArthur was previously a Bloomington Police Department dispatcher. He joined the St. Paul Police Department nearly 10 years ago and was with the K-9 unit since 2021, serving with his K-9 partner Finn.
St. Paul Police Officer Eric McArthur was assigned to the K-9 unit, partnered with K-9 Finn. (Courtesy of the St. Paul Police Department)
He served 20 years in the Army National Guard and deployed three times to Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. His nicknames were “Mac” because of his last name or “The General” as a nod to Gen. Douglas MacArthur, a five star Army general.
McArthur was a married father with two children.
He “was a decorated leader whose heroism cements his legacy of compassionate service,” Mayor Melvin Carter wrote in a Friday statement. “In 2020, Ofc. McArthur was one of four to earn a Life Saving Award for his extraordinary efforts to save the life of a young stabbing victim.”
McArthur “was also an exceptional K9 officer” and earned top honors with Finn at national trials this year, Carter wrote.
His “impact will forever be felt,” Carter wrote. “He represented the very best of our department — courage, skill, and heart.”
Retired Sgt. Don Grundhauser
Grundhauser, 55, became a St. Paul police officer in 1994, and started a family legacy: His two younger brothers, Mark and Keith, followed in his footsteps and one of his sons also joined the department. The three are still St. Paul officers.
St. Paul Police Sgt. Don Grundhauser, second from left, with wife, Kelly Grundhauser, and their sons Nicholas and Jacob Grundhauser in September 2023, when Nicholas Grundhauser became a St. Paul police officer. (Courtesy of the Grundhauser Family)
The saying Grundhauser always had for other officers was, “It doesn’t cost anything to be nice to someone.”
In July 2024, Grundhauser was diagnosed with cancer. He went through chemotherapy and other treatments.
“You have to have hope and you want to believe,” Grundhauser, known as “Grundy,” said in a February interview.
He grew up in St. Paul and attended St. Bernard’s School on St. Paul’s Rice Street. “He’s often referred to as a ‘Rice Street Legend,’” a family friend previously wrote on a GoFundMe.
Related Articles
St. Paul man charged in Minneapolis crash that killed 2, injured child following carjacking
Pedro Park dedicated after 28-year battle for scarce downtown green space
St. Paul man convicted of raping Wisconsin woman he met on dating app
Weekend traffic forecast: Closures along I-94, 35E in St. Paul and more
Letters: Any law short of banning all semi-automatic weapons would be pointless. Instead …
Don and Kelly Grundhauser were married at St. Bernard’s Church. They have twin sons.
“He was a neighbor, a friend, and someone I had the privilege to call a friend for many years,” Carter wrote Friday. “His backyard was always a favorite National Night Out stop as he’d grill steaks and pork chops, welcoming everyone with the same generosity he brought to his service.”
Kelly Grundhauser wrote that “Donny was more than his illness.”
“He was a proud St. Paul Police Sergeant who served the city he was born and raised in,” she said. “He was a husband who loved deeply for more than 31 years. He was a dad who adored his two boys and was so proud of the men they have become. He was a brother and a son and a friend who showed up for people in big and small ways.”
