The Duluth firefighter accused of attacking a woman on a hiking trail has been found guilty.

Conrad John Sunde IV, 50, was found guilty Monday of Felony Third-Degree Assault for allegedly assaulting Mary Modec, 65 on a western Duluth trail.

The incident happened back in July 2020.

According to the criminal complaint, Modec was startled by Sunde and three off-leash dogs while running on the trail.

Police say when the victim took out her phone to get a picture, he assaulted her, breaking her nose.

The defense claimed that Sunde was acting in self-defense, but the judge ruled against their argument.

In April, the defense waived the right to a jury trial in favor of a court trial.

Judge Theresa Neo with the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office has found Sunde guilty.

The Court will issue its specific findings and a sentencing date will be scheduled.

As of March, Sunde was still employed with the Duluth Fire Department.

Today, we reached out to the department asking about Sunde’s current employment status, they replied:

“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.” – Chief Administrative Officer Noah Schuchman

To see the original report and read related stories, follow this link to the KBJR 6 News website.