On December 15, 2025, at 1456 hours, St. Paul police officers stopped a 2015 Mazda CX-5 after officers observed the vehicle parked near University and Arundel, St. Paul, Ramsey County. Many individuals approached the vehicle on foot with money in their hands. The behavior appeared consistent with drug sales. Officers followed the vehicle to Maryland and Payne and observed the vehicle to be speeding. They conducted a stop of the vehicle. Officers observed a large amount of smoke exiting the open windows.
The smoke smelled of burnt marijuana. Officers identified the driver as Lasall Martais Clayborn, [DOB REDACTED]. Clayborn appeared to be attempting to conceal a plastic wrapper which he held in his hand. Officers also observed marijuana packages in plain view inside the vehicle. Officers removed Clayborn and the passengers from the vehicle. The plastic wrapper in Clayborn’s hand contained two pills identified by their markings as alprazolam (Xanax), a controlled substance. Clayborn also had packages of marijuana in his pockets Officers searched the vehicle and discovered large quantities of marijuana in a backpack and on the front passenger floorboard of the vehicle.
The packages tested positive for marijuana (cannabis) with a total weight of 2.29 pounds. In a post-Miranda interview, Clayborn said that all of the marijuana belonged to him and that his passengers had nothing to do with possessing it. Clayborn had a warrant for DWI out of Hennepin County.
