Dave Hutchinson, former Hennepin County sheriff, fired by Metro Transit police after regaining job
MINNEAPOLIS – The former sheriff of Hennepin County has been fired from his job with the Metro Transit Police Department.
Dave Hutchinson previously served as a sergeant for MTPD before he was elected sheriff back in 2018.
His tenure as sheriff was marred by controversy, including a 2021 drunk driving crash and DWI conviction, a blistering internal report that determined he "engaged in racist, sexist, bullying, and retaliatory behavior" while sheriff, and then his subsequent censure by the Hennepin County Board. Hutchinson then went on indefinite leave for the rest of his time in office, and didn't seek reelection in 2022.
Hutchinson was able to get his sergeant position back with MTPD in January due to a Minnesota statute that allows state, city, county or tribal office holders to be reinstated in their previous public positions after they leave office. The statute also allows those public servants to get back their previous salary, plus pay increases they would've received if they never left the position. That brought Hutchinson's salary to $115,000 a year.
His reinstatement drew the ire of the Metropolitan Council, which runs MTPD, leading to the filing of a formal complaint.
In a filing dated March 17, Metro Transit Police Chief Ernest Morales III wrote that Hutchinson was terminated "for failing to abide by MTPD policy."
"You violated MTPD policies and procedures when, on December 8, 2021, you drove while intoxicated, carried a firearm while intoxicated, crashed the vehicle you were driving, made false statements to the police, were arrested and subsequently convicted of Misdemeanor DWI, were place on probation and had your MN POST License suspended. Your behavior demonstrated poor judgment and reflected poorly on all of us in the department. Termination is, therefore, the appropriate sanction," Morales wrote.
In the same filing, Morales noted that Hutchinson didn't appear at his Loudermill hearing scheduled on March 17, where he would've been able to state his case for not being terminated.
On Wednesday, Hutchinson submitted a brief, signed letter to the Metropolitan Council's HR director.
"I received notice of my right to a hearing to challenge my termination under Minn. Stat. § 3.088. I am waiving my right to a hearing," Hutchinson wrote.
Hutchinson never worked a day for MTPD after he was reinstated due to the investigation.
WCCO News reached out to the Metropolitan Council for comment. They declined, citing this case was "a personnel matter."