Hennepin Co. Sheriff Hutchinson's license temporarily suspended by POST board
MINNEAPOLIS -- Embattled Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson's peace officer license will be suspended for 30 days.
The Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) confirmed Tuesday that it decided to suspend Hutchinson's license during a meeting on Sept. 22.
According to the board, Hutchinson's license was suspended for 180 days, but 150 days were stayed for three years with conditions. The suspension is effective 60 days after the order was signed, so Hutchinson will serve his suspension later in November.
Late last year, the sheriff pleaded guilty to DWI following a high-speed rollover crash near Alexandria. He was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay a $610 fine. He also agreed to pay the county $47,711.69 for the squad vehicle wrecked in the crash.
"As a result, the Board sought to impose licensing sanctions against the Sheriff's peace officer license pursuant to our authority," the POST board said in a statement.
RELATED: Hutchinson sits down with WCCO following DWI conviction
Facing mounting calls to resign, Hutchinson has previously said he will not seek reelection in November. In May, Hutchinson announced he was taking a leave of absence "for the indefinite future." The department says the reason for Hutchinson's leave is "health-related." The county spokesperson said the sheriff will still receive pay and benefits during his leave, as it's required by state law.
According to a director with the POST board, any peace officer whose license is suspended may not practice law enforcement in the state while the license is suspended. That includes the power to arrest someone, enforcement of law, authorization of use of force and other policing situations. However, there may be other duties the elected sheriff can perform that is not affected by the status of the peace officer license, such as oversight of the county jail.
WCCO has reached out to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and Hutchinson's attorney in his DWI case for comment.
This is a developing story, so check back for more.
READ: POST board's full statement on suspension
Read the statement from the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training below:
As the licensing and regulatory body for peace officer licenses in the State of Minnesota, the Board takes its responsibility to hold peace officers accountable who violate the law or licensing standards of conduct very seriously, regardless of the officer's rank or position.
Sheriff Hutchinson pleaded guilty to a violation of Minn. Stat. 169A.20, Subd. 1(5), operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol concentration above 0.08, a misdemeanor offense. As a result, the Board sought to impose licensing sanctions against the Sheriff's peace officer license pursuant to our authority.
In this process, the Complaint Investigation Committee (CIC) and ultimately the full Board, considered many factors including the Sheriff's specific conduct in the incident, his own acknowledgement that he should be held to a higher standard as Sheriff as well as public safety. In every case, the Board and CIC also consider past licensing sanctions imposed for similar violations of law or POST standards of conduct. In the case of most first offense, misdemeanor DUIs with no extenuating circumstances, licensing sanctions typically consist of some period of license suspension with the actual suspension stayed with no suspension time served, unless a same or similar violation occurs in the future.
In this case, the CIC reached a Settlement Agreement and Consent Order (SACO) with Sheriff Hutchinson imposing discipline against his peace officer license. The SACO was approved by the full Board at the September 22, 2022 board meeting.
Under this sanction, Sheriff Hutchinson's peace officer license is suspended for 180 days, with 150 days stayed for three years with conditions. Sheriff Hutchinson will be required to serve the 30 day suspension of his peace officer license in November of 2022.
The imposition of licensing sanctions is considered final discipline for purposes of Minn. Stat. 13.41, licensing data, making the SACO public data.
Sincerely,
The Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training