Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson crashed his vehicle while driving drunk early Wednesday morning.
The sheriff admitted to this behavior in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. The crash took place in Douglas County near Alexandria, where the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association was holding its winter conference.
Hutchinson was taken to the hospital with “serious but non-life-threatening injuries.” The incident is being investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Patrol.
According to Fox 9, Hutchinson was driving a county-owned vehicle. Crime Watch Minneapolis reports that the vehicle “left the roadway and rolled.” He apologized for his actions and said he is “prepared to accept the consequences” for his “poor decision.”
BREAKING: Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson says he was in a car crash while driving drunk. pic.twitter.com/sjDrfQxKhE
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) December 8, 2021
“I made the inexcusable decision to drive after drinking alcohol and I am deeply sorry,” he said. “I will immediately address my personal issues surrounding alcohol and seek the help I need to continue to serve the people of Hennepin County.”
Hutchinson said that “no one else was injured in the crash.”
The Democratic sheriff was elected in November 2018 and received the endorsements of Gov. Tim Walz, Rep. Ilhan Omar, and the Minnesota DFL. Under Hutchinson’s leadership, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office has stopped cooperating with federal immigration authorities and encrypted the police dispatch channels for 25 cities in the county, despite Hutchinson saying he wouldn’t.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
