On August 1, 2025, at approximately 1:53 A.M., an officer with the Burnsville Police Department was on routine patrol in the area of Nicollet Avenue and Highway 13 in the City of Burnsville, the County of Dakota, the State of Minnesota, when a green SUV was observed in front of him with an inoperable third brake light. The officer followed the vehicle and observed it cross over the lane several times. Based on the inoperable brake light and the lane violations, the officer initiated a traffic stop.
The officer approached the vehicle and explained the reason for the stop. The driver advised he did not have a license but identified himself as PAUL LEE SWANSON [DOB REDACTED], herein the Defendant. The officer was able to confirm the Defendant via his DVS photograph and observed that the Defendant’s license was canceled inimical to public safety. The Defendant was placed under arrest. During a search incident to arrest, officers located a small, clear baggie containing a white, crystalline substance in the Defendant’s left front pocket.
The substance was collected and submitted to the Dakota County Drug Task Force for preliminary NIK testing. An agent with the Dakota County Drug Task Force conducted preliminary NIK testing on the substance. The substance weighed 1.40 grams and tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine.
