An off-duty Cloquet police officer was arrested and cited with two counts of DWI after a crash in Carlton on Aug. 6.
The Carlton County Sheriff's Office responded to a traffic complaint about 9 p.m. Aug. 6 of a Pontiac G6 that sped away from the four-way stop in Carlton at state Highway 210 toward Wrenshall, swerved and eventually crashed near the intersection of Webbeking Drive and Gillespie Drive, according to the incident report.
Andrew Michael Murray, 34, of Carlton, fled into the woods near South Terrace Elementary School, the sheriff's office report said. The sheriff's office, Fond du Lac Tribal Police Department and Minnesota State Patrol set up a perimeter.
Murray was located shortly after and was arrested without incident, according to a report from the State Patrol.
Due to a conflict of interest, local law enforcement asked the State Patrol to handle the investigation.
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During the investigation, the state trooper observed Murray showing signs of impairment and transported him to Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet. A search warrant was obtained to take a blood sample from Murray for a blood-alcohol test. The sample was submitted to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, but the results are not yet available.
Murray was cited for DWI and remained at the Community Memorial Hospital for further medical treatment.
In a statement released Wednesday, Aug. 19, Cloquet Police Chief Derek Randall did not identify Murray as the officer, but relayed the details the Pine Journal verified through public records, including the date of the crash, as well as the charges Murray is facing.
He said the officer has been placed on paid, non-disciplinary administrative leave pending the outcome of a criminal investigation. The police department will conduct an internal investigation after the criminal case is completed, the statement said.
"When an officer violates the very law we are trying to enforce, it weakens the trust and confidence we have with our community," Randall said in the statement. "This conduct is unacceptable, is not representative of the Cloquet Police Department, and will not be tolerated. Members of our department will continue to work to regain your trust."
Randall also thanked the passersby who reported the incident, saying "our region is safer" because of their actions.
Murray is set to be arraigned at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 15.
Carlton City Attorney Frank Yetka is listed as the prosecuting attorney in the case. He is also the city attorney for Cloquet.
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Yetka did not respond to a request for comment from the Pine Journal.
