On March 14, 2026, a Trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol was on routine patrol in the area of 3rd Street North in downtown Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. The Trooper observed a white GMC Yukon make a left turn and travel the wrong direction on 2nd Avenue North which is a one-way road. The Trooper activated his squad car’s emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. The vehicle pulled into a parking ramp and then stopped. The Trooper approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and observed four individuals in the vehicle.
As he got closer to the vehicle, the Trooper was able to detect the odor of alcohol and burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle. The Trooper observed the driver of the vehicle to have bloodshot, watery eyes. The driver answered preliminary questions with mumbled and slurred speech. The driver stated that he was on his way to help a girl that was in a fight. The Trooper observed a large bag of marijuana at the driver’s feet in the vehicle. When asked when his last drink was, the driver first indicated that it was the night prior and later stated that it was just a minute ago.
The driver was identified as TRAVON DONTE ELAM; [DOB REDACTED] (herein Defendant). The Defendant was the registered owner of the vehicle. The Trooper asked the Defendant to exit the vehicle in order to undergo standardized field sobriety tests. As the Defendant exited the vehicle, the Trooper noted that the Defendant had a green wristband consistent with what someone would receive when entering a bar and having their identification checked. The Defendant exhibited a number of signs of impairment during the standardized field sobriety test.
A preliminary breath test was completed and the Defendant’s BAC was.172. The Defendant was then placed under arrest. Other officers responded to the scene and observed open bottles of alcohol in the vehicle. The occupants of the vehicle were asked to exit and the vehicle was searched. During the search of the vehicle, the Trooper noted very loose paneling in the center console of the vehicle. When the Trooper removed that paneling, he discovered two firearms. One firearm was a Sig P228 and the other was a Springfield Hellcat.
The Sig P228 came back as stolen out of Hennepin County and the Springfield Hellcat came back as reported lost. The Defendant was read the breath test advisory at the Hennepin County Jail. He agreed to provide a breath sample. The Defendant provided a breath sample with a BAC of.15. The Trooper collected a sample of the Defendant’s DNA. In a post-Miranda statement, the Defendant admitted that he is the registered owner of the vehicle and stated that he is the only person who uses that vehicle. He said that he drives the vehicle daily and he’s owned it for about 2-3 years.
