Man who shut down Interstate 35 near Faribault had over 40 pounds of meth in his car, charges say
FARIBAULT, Minn. — A man who held up traffic on Interstate 35 near Faribault for hours on Sunday had more than 40 pounds of meth in his vehicle, charging documents filed in Rice County allege.
A 42-year-old man from Minneapolis is facing multiple felony drug charges and a charge for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon convicted of a crime of violence.
Charges say law enforcement attempted to stop the man's vehicle on I-35 in Steele County by using stop sticks. The vehicle pulled over at one point and a 29-year-old woman exited before the man continued on the interstate.
The woman told police that the man had a gun in the car with him.
Shortly before 3 p.m., the vehicle came to a stop within the city limits of Faribault due to "debilitating damage," charges say.
That's when the man exited his car holding a gun and a standoff ensued, prompting authorities to shut down traffic in both directions of I-35 and issue a shelter-in-place alert for residents in the area.
Officers repeatedly ordered the man to drop his weapon and he did not comply. Throughout the encounter, the man fired his weapon multiple times, once at the ground near him and at a drone. He also attempted to shoot himself before losing the firearm, the complaint says.
The man fled into an open farm field nearby and police say they used a K-9 to take him down.
During a search of the man's vehicle, police report finding hypodermic needles "littered" throughout it. Officers recovered from his vehicle 44 pounds of meth, nearly 300 pills — most containing fentanyl — and equipment for packaging drugs, charges say.