Minneapolis Park Police seize "extraordinary" quantity of fentanyl in park bust
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Park Police on Thursday will discuss charges filed after the recovery of over 1,700 pills containing fentanyl.
According to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, officers were patrolling the area of Elliot Park on Dec. 23 at 7:48 p.m. when they attempted to stop a driver in a vehicle that was connected to a federal arrest warrant. The occupants of the vehicle, four of them, fled from the vehicle.
One of the suspects was caught, which officials have identified as Bernard Augusta Mack. Police say they recovered 1,788 pills while arresting Mack. The pills tested positive for fentanyl, according to police.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office on Wednesday charged Mack with a first-degree aggravated controlled substance offense, which is a felony.
"This quantity of fentanyl is extraordinary for a street-level drug arrest and could have harmed or killed countless people," Park Police Chief Jason Ohotto said in a release.
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According to the complaint, officers found over $2,500 in Mack's pants pocket and also found more fentanyl pills in the vehicle. A handgun was recovered in the trunk, which may lead to additional charges.
Mack is in custody and is scheduled to make his first court appearance on the drug charge at 1:30 p.m.
Court documents obtained by WCCO show Mack was charged with murder in a separate case earlier this year, but was acquitted in June.