Sheriff Hutchinson Agrees To Pay Hennepin County $47K For Squad Vehicle Wrecked In DWI Crash
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Embattled Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson has agreed to reimburse the county for the squad vehicle wrecked in his high-speed DWI crash in late 2021.
According to a county spokeswoman, Hutchinson agreed to pay $47,711.69.
Hutchinson faced mounting calls to resign in the days and weeks following the Dec. 8 crash near Alexandria. Earlier this month, he said he will not seek reelection in November, but will serve the rest of his term.
Hutchinson had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.13—almost twice the legal limit—roughly three hours after the crash and rolled over his squad car while not wearing a seatbelt driving at one point 126 mph, according to a trove of case files and evidence released late last month. There were firearms in the car, according to documents.
Hutchinson pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DWI charge and was sentenced to two years' probation and fined $610.
Hutchinson's resignation leaves the seat open to individuals seeking the job of being the chief law enforcement official in the county.
At least two people, Jai Hanson and Suwana Kirkland have joined the race for Hennepin County Sheriff. Hanson is a police officer for the city of Bloomington and Kirkland is the director for Dakota County Community Corrections, according to their Linkedin pages.
