Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson charged with DWI, three other offenses
Hennepin County Sheriff's David Hutchinson has been charged with four offenses, including DWI, following a rollover crash on I-94 near Alexandria this week.
The Douglas County Attorney's Office confirmed that Hutchinson, of Bloomington, is facing four misdemeanor charges after he drank alcohol before being involved in a rollover crash five miles east of I-94 in the early hours of Wednesday.
The charges he's facing:
- 4th-degree DWI
- Operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol
- Operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .08 within two hours
- Carrying a pistol under the influence of alcohol
Hutchinson gave a blood alcohol reading of 0.13, above the state's legal limit of 0.08.
A 4th-degree DWI charge is levied if an offense involves "no aggravating factors," is typically the person's first DWI, and their blood alcohol level is less than 0.16.
The sheriff suffered three broken ribs and head and hip injuries in the crash, and was treated at Alomere Hospital in Alexandria.
It was at the hospital that a State Trooper obtained a warrant and collected a urine sample from Hutchinson.
Hutchinson later admitted to drinking prior to getting behind the wheel, having attended a Minnesota Sheriff’s Association conference in Alexandria, at which there was a cash bar.
The Minnesota State Patrol says Hutchinson was the only person in his vehicle, which is Hennepin County-owned, and was also wearing a seatbelt.
