Lakeville Man Charged with Resisting Arrest, Assaulting Officer at Airport

A man has been charged with assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest after authorities found him drunk at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Chad Allen Blizek, 22, is charged with fourth-degree assault of a peace officer, obstructing the legal process, disorderly conduct and failing to comply with a lawful order.

According to the criminal complaint, airport police were called to a report of an intoxicated man sitting in the lobby of the airport director’s office just before 4:30 p.m. Aug. 8.

Officers noted that Blizek’s speech was slow and slurred, and his eyes were extremely watery and bloodshot, according to the complaint. Blizek, who told police he was flying to Montana, admitted having several drinks.

Blizek’s speech gradually became more incoherent, and he said he didn’t know how he’d gotten to the airport director’s office, the complaint charges. Police contacted detox and learned that there were no available rooms, so they escorted him out of the office and toward a door in the lower level of the airport.

Blizek briefly sat against a wall before getting up and offering the officers money, according to the complaint. He then tried to run away, but one of the officers grabbed his arm as he ran past.

Blizek began to struggle and pull away, even though officers yelled at him to stop resisting. When one of the officers tried to perform a technique to push Blizek toward the ground, the officer fell with a still struggling Blizek on top of him.

The officer was treated at a hospital for a bruised, swollen knee.

Blizek has been released from jail on his promise to make all future court appearances. An omnibus hearing in the case is scheduled Sept. 28 in Hennepin County District Court.