MPR News PM Update

Feb. 9, 2022

Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson will pay back the county for damage to a vehicle he crashed while drunk. A Hennepin County spokesperson says Hutchinson has agreed to pay the county $47,711.69.

Hutchinson crashed his county-owned SUV in the early morning hours of Dec. 8. He was driving east on Interstate 94 near Alexandria, where he'd attended a Minnesota Sheriff's Association conference. He later pleaded guilty to  a misdemeanor charge of DWI. Vehicle data revealed he had been driving in excess of 120 miles per hour before he crashed the vehicle.

He came under fire for drinking and driving, and a majority of the county board said he should step down. But Hutchinson says he plans on finishing out his term, which ends in January. He says he will not seek reelection.

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