On February 5, 2025, at approximately 11:05 P.M., while in the City of Duluth, County of St. Louis, State of Minnesota, a Minnesota State Patrol Trooper was on routine patrol located in the Downtown Duluth area on Superior Street near 2nd Avenue, when he observed a black Nissan Rogue traveling westbound with the driver's side headlight out and no front license plate. The trooper turned around and observed the vehicle weaving from one side of the road to the opposite, which appeared more exaggerated than normal even with the snowy roadways.
The trooper observed a temporary license place that expired December 2024 on the rear. The trooper activated its squad emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop. The trooper immediately noticed upon making contact with the occupants of the vehicle at the front passenger window, a freshly‐extinguished thick, large cannabis blunt atop the fresh snow right outside the driver's door. The passenger claimed the blunt was theirs. The driver verbally identified himself as Traveon Semaj Fears [DOB REDACTED], hereinafter Defendant.
The trooper observed Defendant with red, watery eyes, slurred and staccato speech, \\a strong odor of breath alcohol, and a strong odor of burnt cannabis and sour breath cannabis. Defendant spoke slowly. Defendant nearly admitted to drinking alcohol, but then stopped himself, and ultimately denied drinking any alcohol or smoking any cannabis. Based on Defendant's driving conduct, physical presentation, odor, and the lit blunt thrown out of the vehicle that was located on the driver's side, the trooper had Defendant step out of the vehicle to perform standardized field sobriety tests.
While speaking with Defendant and away from the passenger, the trooper could smell the odor of consumed alcoholic beverage coming from Defendant. While performing the SFSTs, Defendant showed indicators of impairment. The trooper suspected that Defendant was under the influence of cannabis and alcohol and placed Defendant under arrest. The trooper obtained a search warrant that was signed by the Honorable Jill Eichenwald at 11:55 P.M. Defendant's blood was drawn by a qualified professional at St. Luke's Hospital at 12:29 A.M. And the blood sample was sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis.
The result of the test indicated that the defendant's blood contained 0.088 mg/L of ethyl alcohol concentration and 26.4 ng/ ml delta‐9‐ tetrahydrocannabinol, 16.0 ng/ml 11‐hydroxy‐delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol, 259 ng/ml11‐nor‐9‐carboxy‐delta‐9‐ tetrahydrocannabinol, 1.58 ng/ml cannabinol and 1.17 ng/ml Cannabigerol. At 12:40 A.M., the Trooper Mirandized Defendant and Defendant was willing to speak with the trooper. Defendant admitted he was drinking at the Holiday Inn and could not remember how much he consumed but admitted he had more than one shot.
