On January 27, 2025, at approximately 9:28 A.M., an officer on routine patrol stopped a vehicle for running a red light westbound across Douglas Drive North in Crystal, Hennepin County, Minnesota. The officer initiated a traffic stop and approached the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, the officer saw the driver was a black male, average build, with shoulder length dreadlocks, wearing a black flat brim baseball hat. The officer also saw the license plate for another vehicle inside, and the steering wheel airbag in the vehicle was broken.
The officer asked the driver for his license, and the driver responded, “I have an ID” and began reaching around the inside of the vehicle. The driver then said, “sorry about this,” and fled the traffic stop. The officer pursued the vehicle but was unable to stop the vehicle again. The officer searched records for the vehicle’s owner, and S. T. N. Came up as the registered owner. The officer determined that S. T. N. Was not the driver who fled the stop because he appeared younger than the driver and did not have dreadlocks.
The officer called S. T. N., who stated he believed his vehicle had been stolen. When asked why he did not report that, S. T. N. Told the officer that he did not know how to report that. S. T. N. Did not provide any information about who might be driving his vehicle. Officers generated a KOPS alert for the suspect vehicle. On January 29, 2025, St. Paul police informed Cystal police that they had stopped the suspect vehicle that was subject to the KOPS alert. St. Paul officers said there had been a single occupant in the vehicle, the driver, and the driver fled on foot.
St. Paul officers were unable to stop the driver who fled. St. Paul officers recovered a cellphone from inside the vehicle. Crystal police took possession of the cellphone and the suspect vehicle for processing. Crystal officers received search warrants for the vehicle and cellphone. Officers processed the vehicle and sent swabs from the vehicle to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Forensic Science Laboratory. On March 31, 2026, officers received a DNA hit. The DNA from the vehicle was linked to RAISHAWN KWAMAINE DAWKINS (“Defendant” herein). The original officer who initiated the traffic stop in January 2025 viewed several booking and DVS photos of Defendant.
This officer positively identified Defendant as the driver who fled the traffic stop.
