Shot in the line of duty: St. Peter officer’s nonprofit is helping his own department heal

Name: St. Peter police officer shot during standoff released from the hospital
Uploaded: 2026-07-15T17:12:58-05:00
Description: St. Peter, Minnesota police officer Austin Buss, who was shot during a standoff on June 18, was released from the hospital. He was escorted home by a law enforcement procession.

St. Peter officer shot on duty; his nonprofit helps cops heal

St. Peter police officer Austin Buss was shot in the line of duty. Now his nonprofit is helping other first responders heal. FOX 9 Investigator Paul Blume has the story.

ST. PETER, Minn. (FOX 9) - A St. Peter police officer is sharing his story of survival after being ambushed and shot in the line of duty. His nonprofit is now helping his own department heal.

Officer recounts shooting and recovery journey

What we know:

Officer Austin Buss was shot in the arm and chest while pursuing a suspect who had fled to the second floor of a St. Peter home on June 18.

"I am thankful, right? I shouldn't be here. And for some reason, God kept me here. And I believe it's for a reason to continue on and continue to help people," Buss told the FOX 9 Investigators,

Buss was wearing his bulletproof vest, which he believes saved his life, along with a small token he had previously received from his 4-year-old son.

"I was getting ready to walk out the door to go to work. And he goes, ‘Hey, Daddy, I want you to take baby Jesus with you to work to keep you safe.’ So, I put it in my work pants pocket, and he had kind of been there ever since," explained Buss, who said he is driven by faith and a desire to help others.

Authorities recently released police body-camera footage of the stairwell encounter.

The suspect, 21-year-old Jordan Michael Donahue, opened fire with a shotgun, shattering Buss’ arm and hitting him square in the chest. Buss and his partner returned fire.

"I thought he was dead until I heard his voice," recalled his wife Kayla Buss. "And even then, when he was in the emergency surgery, I just kept asking the surgeons, like, is he going to make it?"

St. Peter police officer shot during standoff released from the hospital

St. Peter, Minnesota police officer Austin Buss, who was shot during a standoff on June 18, was released from the hospital. He was escorted home by a law enforcement procession.

Nonprofit focused on emergency responder mental wellness

The backstory:

The St. Peter Police Department is now leaning on a nonprofit Buss started prior to the shooting to help officers heal from the traumatic experience.

The Brothers in Law focuses on mental health and wellness for first responders.

His organization raised $30,000 to build a mobile wellness trailer, which travels around southern Minnesota following traumatic calls.

The trailer includes a wood-burning sauna and cold tub.

"That body going from the hot temperature down to that cold temperature really gets you into that fight or flight response, kind of gives you that, ‘oh crap’ factor and really helps you work on controlling your breathing and your emotions at that time," said Buss.

The mobile wellness unit is currently parked at the St. Peter Police Station.

"That's kind of the crazy conversations my wife and I have recently is how full circle this all has come," said Buss, who encourages other emergency responders to talk about their struggles in coping with the job.

"That's what I have learned," concluded Buss. "It is OK not to be OK. And you have to be vulnerable about it to let people know that it is OK to talk about stuff that is going on in their lives. And I am not afraid to admit it. I am not going to be able to get through this by myself either."

'It all started from dealing with a traumatic experience'

What they're saying:

Buss recalled needing to address his own mental health after responding to a multiple fatality vehicle crash and losing a police officer friend to suicide in a 24-hour stretch several years ago.

"It all started from dealing with a traumatic experience and finding alternative ways to deal with problems," said Buss.

He believes the sauna and cold plunge help first responders manage the stress and emotions of the job.

"You can sit in the sauna by yourself if you want and really sweat it out and work through your own problems. But our whole intent is, if we can get people to do it together, do it with your co-workers and really experience that sauna treatment, you're in the fight together. You're not alone. It's a team effort which also relates out into the real world of the job," Buss explained.