From the Police Chief

Lakeville Police Chief: Car Crash Results in Drug Arrest

Last Saturday, we hosted our annual City of Lakeville rabies clinic at the Lakeville Police Station.

Officer Nic Stevens was training Officer Sarah Brockman on her first day in Field Training as a police officer one morning this week when they responded to a property damage crash. During the course of investigation of the crash, the officers discovered that the passenger in one of the vehicles had active arrest warrants for narcotics. The officers arrested the subject and also found suspected narcotics. The officers transported the subject to Dakota County Jail on the warrants and the pending narcotics possession charges.  RABIES CLINIC Last Saturday, we hosted our annual City of Lakeville rabies clinic at the Lakeville Police Station. This annual event is designed to give pet owners (dogs and cats) the opportunity to come in and have …

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From the Police Chief

Lakeville Police Chief: Snow During Rush Hour Makes For Busy Day

This past Monday, February 25, the Minnesota MADD organization held their Minnesota Statewide Recognition Awards ceremony at the Minnesota Science Museum in St. Paul.

The past few weeks of February, it has seemed to snow almost every day. While we have not had any huge snowstorms yet, a couple of inches of snow can make the commute difficult for motorists and a very busy day for the patrol officers working. That was the case last Friday morning when Sergeant John Kornmann’s patrol team was on duty and the strong wind created near blizzard conditions. Sergeant Kornmann’s daily shift notes indicated: “Officers worked nine crashes or assists to the State Patrol on I-35 before noon. I-35 was a mess from 0730 until about 1100 a. m. One person was injured after the driver lost control of her Ford and her vehicle rear ended a semi. The actual number was much higher than nine incidents as we aided State Patrol …

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From the Police Chief

Tired Driver Crashes into Line of Trees Before Car Burst into Flames

More than 270 attend Lakeville's annual Domestic Abuse Awareness Luncheon.

Officer Shawn Fitzhenry responded to a report of a single vehicle crash with the vehicle on fire on the side of the roadway. When Officer Fitzhenry arrived on the scene, he discovered that the driver, who was uninjured, had safely exited the car after the crash. Lakeville Fire Department units arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire without incident. The driver told Officer Fitzhenry that he had possibly dozed off and drove off the roadway, striking a line of trees. The car was a total loss. The officers at the traffic crash scene felt the driver was very lucky not to have been seriously injured, based upon the damage to the car.  DOMESTIC ABUSE LUNCHEON The 28th Annual Domestic Abuse Awareness Luncheon was held at Brackett’s …

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From the Police Chief

Lakeville Police: Serious Car Crash in Lakeville Likely Result of DUI

One of the major safety challenges for police officers and other rescue personnel, such as fire fighters and paramedics, working at traffic crash scenes during a winter snow event is the traffic coming up to the scene after the crash.

Officers Shawn Fitzhenry and Jim Dronen responded to a personal injury crash one night last week at an intersection on Cedar Avenue. The officers discovered that a pickup truck had been stopped at the intersection and was waiting at a red light when a van rear ended the stopped pickup and then flipped over and came to rest in an upright position. The officers found that all three occupants of the two vehicles had suffered non-life threatening injuries and they were transported to the hospital by ambulance. The initial investigation indicated that the driver at fault in the van also showed signs of being impaired and a blood test was requested. The investigation into this traffic crash continues.  BAD ROADS MEAN GREATER RISK FOR FIRST-…

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GOPer Brodkorb Charged With DUI, Careless Driving in Connection to Crash

The former Senate staffer and Eagan resident was seriously injured on Jan. 23 when he lost control of his vehicle on the Interstate 35E bridge near Lilydale.

Michael Brodkorb—a former Senate staffer whose meteoric rise in the GOP ranks once made headlines—now faces criminal charges in connection to a traffic accident in January. Lilydale City Attorney Thomas Lehmann charged Brodkorb with two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree DUI, one misdemeanor count of careless driving and one petty misdemeanor seatbelt violation, according . If convicted on one of the DUI charges, Brodkorb could face a maximum of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. The seatbelt violation is a petty misdemeanor punishable with a $300 fine. Brodkorb was seriously injured in the accident, which occurred just after 9 p.m. on Jan. 23 along the Interstate 35E bridge near Lilydale. Police say Brodkorb was driving in the northbound…

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From the Police Chief

Lakeville Police Stop Burglary in Progress at Local Business

Captain Tim Knutson was introduced to the City Council at the City Council meeting this past Monday night in recognition of his recent promotion to Captain.

Officers on patrol respond to intrusion (burglar) alarms all the time. It is not uncommon for an officer to respond to an intrusion alarm almost every shift. The vast majority of the time when there is a call of an intrusion alarm, it is actually a false alarm. The sensors on the alarms are very sensitive and if not properly set, can be activated by a wide variety of causes including the wind, heat vents or even lights.  Many businesses and residences in our community have intrusion alarms and even though there can be false alarms, the vast majority of officers encourage their use for a couple of reasons. The first is that an intrusion alarm can be a real deterrent to a potential burglar who would likely not want to enter a building with …

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From the Police Chief

Alcohol Likely Factor in Serious Car Crash in Lakeville

Snow plow burns in parking lot it was plowing in after recent snow fall.

This past week we had a couple of times when the weather warmed up just enough for it to rain and then overnight the temperature would dip below freezing and every sidewalk and parking lot and many of our side streets turned into virtual skating rinks due to the thin ice covering. Within a few hours, the surface warmed up to turn the thin coating of ice to water, but in the interim we did have a few minor traffic crashes from vehicles sliding into each other and things (like mailboxes) along the side of the roadway.  What most people don’t realize (and this seems counterintuitive) is that some of our most serious traffic crashes happen during the winter when the roadway surfaces are actually in good driving condition.  Both our local (…

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From the Police Chief

Police Chief: Sub-Zero Cold a Pain for Lakeville Police

Officers find shoplifting suspect at local restaurant.

Police work for an officer working on patrol often involves being outside in the elements for extended periods of time. In Minnesota, that can mean being exposed to a wide range of weather conditions ranging from the hot and humid temperatures of the summer to huge snowstorms and artic-like temperatures in the winter. This past week, we have experienced some of the coldest temperatures in the past four years in Lakeville, with several days of below zero temperatures and wind chill temperatures in the -20 to -40 degree range.  The risk of suffering cold injuries such as frost bite can occur in a matter of only minutes for exposed skin at those temperatures. Officers working on patrol have to make sure they have protective cold weather …

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From the Police Chief

Light Snow Causes SUV to Slide Off Lakeville Road, Crash into Stream

The SUV slid off the slippery roadway, struck a tree and landed in about three feet of water in a small stream.

So far this winter, we have had a few significant snowfall events that have required the snowplows to come out, but what many drivers do not realize is how the roads can become slippery from just a dusting of snow. Many times during the winter driving season, there will not be enough snow on the roadway for plowing, but the roadway surface is still slippery and the road crews will come out just to add deicing chemicals to the road surfaces.  Officer Jason Haider responded to a single vehicle crash one morning last week in which an SUV slid off the slippery roadway, struck a tree and landed in about three feet of water in a small stream. Fortunately, the driver did not suffer any significant injuries and was able to safely exit the vehicle …

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From the Police Chief

Crash Investigation: Driver Tells Cops He Slid on Ice, Despite No Ice

This New Year’s Eve was busier than usual for Captain Tim Knutson’s patrol team as they were tasked with a wide range of calls throughout the night.

Officer Brad Wubben responded to a property damage crash one night this week involving two vehicles at an intersection. Upon arriving, he found that one vehicle had been stopped at the light and was rear ended by a vehicle coming up from behind. The driver of the vehicle said that he slid on the roadway, but Officer Wubben could find no evidence of ice or packed snow on the roadway. Officer Wubben issued the driver a citation for failure to use due care.  BUSY NEW YEAR'S EVE Most years, New Year’s Eve night has actually been quieter than a normal Friday or Saturday night for our officers in Lakeville. Over the years, most people who plan on being out celebrating New Year’s Eve consume responsibly and make arrangements for designated …

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