On or about April 12, 2026, around 1:21 in the morning officers with the Anoka County Police department were on routine patrol in the area of East Main Street and 4th Avenue, in the city of Anoka, County of Anoka, when they observed a vehicle idling in the parking lot of Huntington Bank. The vehicle was stopped near an area with known illicit drug use. As officers passed, the vehicle activated its left turn signal but instead turned right, traveling westbound on East Main Street. The vehicle accelerated rapidly and then made an immediate left turn onto 4th Avenue.
Officers followed and observed the vehicle failing to signal at least 100 feet before turning onto Madison Street, again accelerating at a high rate of speed. Officers continued after the vehicle and observed it stop past a stop sign, entering the pedestrian crosswalk. The license plate appeared to read GXL032 and showed expired registration from 2022; officers later confirmed the plate was actually GXL033 and valid. Officers activated their emergency lights and sirens on their marked squad car, as the vehicle traveled through the intersection of Madison Street and 6th Avenue.
The vehicle did not stop. It then approached another stop sign, failed to come to a complete stop, and continued through a red light at 7th Avenue. The vehicle accelerated, and officers attempted a PIT maneuver. The driver then brought the vehicle to a stop. Officers made contact with the driver, identified as THOMAS PAUL CASPERS II (D. O. B. 08/08/1984), hereinafter as “Defendant,” and placed him under arrest. A routine records check showed Defendant’s driving status was revoked in the State of Minnesota.
The vehicle was towed, and an inventory search revealed a backpack containing a green sunglasses case. Inside were two baggies: one weighing 3.9 grams labeled “smoke sac,” and another weighing 5.7 grams. Both contained a white crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. During the jail intake process, officers located tin foil on Defendant’s person containing two tabs of suspected LSD.
