On April 7, 2026, at approximately 9:00 P.M., officers of the Richfield Police Department were conducting routine traffic patrol near 66th St. West and Penn Ave. South in the City of Richfield, Hennepin County, Minnesota, when they observed a blue GMC Yukon (MN LIC# JAM359) fail to stop at a red light and improperly drive through a controlled intersection. Officers conducted a traffic stop and identified the operator as NATHAN ANDERSON [DOB REDACTED], DEFENDANT herein. DEFENDANT admitted to officers that he knowingly drove through the red light saying, “My fault, I was trying to catch it.” While speaking with DEFENDANT, officers observed multiple open containers of alcohol in the front console and detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the passenger compartment that was also occupied by multiple passengers.
DEFENDANT admitted to officers that he and the passengers were “drinking earlier.” Based upon the plain view observation of open containers and the odor of alcohol, officers conducted a search of the passenger compartment and located multiple items of narcotic related paraphernalia to include multiple bubble pipes with suspected drug residue. Officers then located a black backpack, capable of containing other open containers or drug paraphernalia, in the third-row seating area. Inside the backpack officers discovered multiple pieces of mail and documents with DEFENDANT’s name and a 9mm Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol (S/N# DSD082) with a loaded magazine containing 8x live rounds.
Officers learned that DEFENDANT was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a prior conviction for a crime of violence. DEFENDANT was placed under arrest and in a post-Miranda statement admitted the backpack belonged to him but denied knowledge of the firearm. However, squad video captured DEFENDANT spontaneously admitting to a fellow passenger that the firearm belonged to DEFENDANT, that DEFENDANT was aware he was prohibited from possessing a firearm, that he intended to sell the firearm, and suggested that one of the other passengers without a criminal record could take the blame.
DEFENDANT has a prior qualifying felony conviction for Assault 2 in 27-CR-05-056357 ([DOB REDACTED]), that prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition. DEFENDANT is presently in custody.
