On or about February 1, 2026, around 11:02 P.M., Deputies from the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office responded to a vehicle in a ditch in the area of Bunker Lake Blvd. NE and Yancy St. NE in the city of Ham Lake, Anoka County, Minnesota. The reporting party indicated that a male driver of the vehicle in the ditch seemed confused, slurring his words, and possibly intoxicated. Officers arrived and spoke with MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER TABOR [DOB REDACTED], hereinafter Defendant. Defendant was in the driver’s seat of a Cadillac bearing MN Plate No. ZLU641, which had been stuck in a snowbank in the ditch.
Defendant exited the vehicle and stated he had been stuck for approximately one hour. Defendant attempted to find the ETA of the tow truck on his cell phone, but seemed confused. When asked where he was coming from, Defendant stated Minneapolis before correcting himself and saying St. Paul. As officers waited with Defendant he began revving his engine, and his vehicle’s wheels started to spin. Officers asked Defendant to exit the vehicle, and Defendant was fidgety, shaking, and unable to focus on one task at a time.
Officers observed Defendant appeared disoriented, confused, and had watery eyes. Officers administered standardized field sobriety tests. Officers observed a lack of smooth pursuit of both eyes and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees in both eyes during the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test. Officers also observed Vertical Nystagmus, as well as Defendant moving his head instead of just his eyes. Officers also observed indications of intoxication during the walk and turn test, including that Defendant did not touch heel-to-toe, lost balance, used his arms to balance, and started too soon.
During the one-leg stand test, Defendant put his foot down and swayed while balancing. Officers then placed the Defendant under arrest. During a search of Defendant’s vehicle, Deputies found a large pink-colored cylinder labeled nitrous oxide sitting across the center console between the driver’s seat and the passenger’s area. Officers observed multiple cylinders around the car, removed from their packages, along with deflated balloons near the driver’s and front passenger’s seats. Officers also located multiple caps.
Officers applied for a search warrant for Defendant’s blood/urine. Defendant provided a blood sample, and the results are pending. Defendant was convicted of criminal vehicular homicide in violation of Minn. Stat. § 609.21, subd.1 (2) on September 8, 2009. See Hennepin County Court File No. ••-CR-••-••••.
