On October 29, 2025, at approximately 1:21 A.M., an officer with the Eagan Police Department was conducting speed enforcement in the area of Highway 55 and Beverly Road in the City of Eagan, the County of Dakota, the State of Minnesota, when a vehicle was observed traveling faster than the posted 55 mile per hour speed limit. The officer activated his radar and the vehicle was clocked at 69 miles per hour. A traffic stop was initiated and the officer made contact with the sole occupant, who identified himself as ETHAN GREGORY RICH [DOB REDACTED], herein the Defendant.
The Defendant advised that he had just dropped off a friend and was on his way to pick up cigarettes. While speaking with him, the officer observed an open case of beer in the backseat along with an empty beer bottle and an odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from the vehicle. The Defendant advised that his friend must have left them for him. The Defendant said he had not consumed any alcohol and that the odor must have come from his friend, however, the officer detected the odor of consumed alcoholic beverage emitting from the Defendant.
The Defendant was asked to exit the vehicle to perform standardized field sobriety tests. The first test performed was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, during which the Defendant was observed to have a lack of smooth pursuit in the left and right eye, a distinct and sustained nystagmus at the maximum deviation in the left and right eye, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees in the left and right eye. The next test was the walk-and-turn test. The Defendant was wearing sandals and removed them to perform the test.
The officer instructed the Defendant on how to perform the test and demonstrated the test. The Defendant said he understood after asking a few clarifying questions. During this test, the Defendant was observed to lose balance during the instructions, start the test early, step off the line, use his arms for balance, and take an incorrect number of steps. The next test the Defendant performed was the one-leg stand test, during which the officer again explained and demonstrated the test and the Defendant acknowledged he understood the test.
The Defendant was observed to sway, use his arms for balance, and put his foot down numerous times. The Defendant then was asked to provide a preliminary breath sample, which registered a 0.11 BAC. The Defendant was placed under arrest for DWI. While waking the Defendant to the squad to be searched, the Defendant advised he had narcotics in his pocket. Officers located Xanax in his hooded sweatshirt he was wearing, which the Defendant advised he did not have a prescription for. 2 19HA-CR-25-2113 Filed in District Court State of Minnesota 12/11/2025 The Defendant was transported to the Eagan Police Department for a breath test.
