On September 11, 2025, at approximately 6:33 A.M., officers with the Hastings Police Department responded to the 700 block of 6th Street West, Hastings, Dakota County, Minnesota, to locate KENNETH LEE BRACHE [DOB REDACTED]. BRACHE was the suspect of a possible domestic assault case. The officer spoke with BRACHE but did not believe he was the suspect at first. BRACHE walked away. After the officer viewed updated notes for the domestic incident, he determined that BRACHE was indeed the suspect. The officer located BRACHE walking on Pine Street.
The officer drove onto Pine Street and passed BRACHE. The officer did not notice anything in the roadway or on the shoulder of Pine Street. The officer stopped his squad vehicle and exit his squad vehicle. The officer walked around to the front of his squad vehicle to speak with BRACHE. When doing so, the officer saw BRACHE walk into the passenger side mirror of the squad vehicle. The officer detained BRACHE in handcuffs. The officer uncuffed BRACHE shortly thereafter. BRACHE asked to sit on the front bumper of the squad vehicle, which he was allowed to do.
After a few seconds, the officer asked BRACHE to sit on the curb to discuss the domestic assault incident. BRACHE complied. While speaking with BRACHE, the officer noticed a baggie in between the front and rear passenger side tires. The officer noticed that the baggie was in pristine condition, not wet, or had no debris on it. The officer noticed that the ground around the baggie was wet. The officer also noticed that the baggie had no indication that it had been run over. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension analyzed the substance inside the baggie.
The BCA determined that the substance contained methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, and weighed approximately 12.260 grams, plus or minus 0.022 grams. BRACHE has several drug-related convictions in Minnesota, from 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021.
