A driver fled a Minnesota trooper on Interstate 94 in Saint Paul, crashed into a concrete barrier and tried to escape through the sunroof before officers found a loaded stolen firearm in the vehicle, according to the complaint.
Gregory Jerome Thorn, 31, of Minneapolis, faces three charges: possessing a firearm after a conviction for a crime of violence, fleeing police in a motor vehicle and refusing to submit to a chemical test.
According to court documents, a trooper attempted a traffic stop near Dale Street in Saint Paul at about 2:37 a.m. on August 19, 2026. After initially stopping, the driver accelerated away, heading eastbound on Interstate 94, exited at Marion Street, nearly struck another vehicle and then crashed into a concrete barrier.
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Police say Thorn and a passenger exited the disabled vehicle through the sunroof. Officers took Thorn into custody and observed signs of intoxication, including staggering, slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. Thorn provided a weak breath sample that registered a 0.07 BAC, but police did not conduct field sobriety tests due to the crash.
A towing company unlocked the vehicle, allowing officers to recover a 9 mm Glock 26 from the driver’s side floorboard. The firearm had a high-capacity magazine with 16 rounds and another round in the chamber, and was equipped with a sear switch. Police determined the gun had been reported stolen out of Minneapolis in 2020.
Thorn was transported to Regions Hospital, where law enforcement obtained a search warrant for a blood sample. Thorn refused to provide a sample, telling officers they were not getting anything from him. After being advised of his rights, Thorn said he did not understand and wanted to speak with an attorney. He was then taken to the Ramsey County Jail. Police read Thorn the Minnesota Breath Test Advisory, but he did not provide an acceptable sample, which was considered a refusal.
The complaint states Thorn is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2019 conviction for armed robbery with a firearm in Illinois. He was also convicted of driving while under the influence in Iowa on July 22, 2025.
Thorn is pending sentencing on a third-degree drug possession charge in Stearns County and was charged in Hennepin County on July 30, 2026, with two counts of third-degree DWI, false name to police, careless driving, duty to drive with due care and driving without a valid license from a November 2025 offense.
Thorn was scheduled to appear in Ramsey County court on August 21.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s weapons offenses include § 624.713 (felon in possession of a firearm, five-year mandatory minimum for a prior crime of violence), § 609.66 (dangerous weapons, including drive-by shooting at § 609.66 subd. 1e) and § 609.165 (firearm restoration after a felony). Discharge of a firearm within a municipality is charged under § 609.66 subd. 1a.
Related MN CRIME Coverage
Saint Paul Man Charged as Driver After Shots Fired at Home Twice • Saint Paul Man Fired at Vehicle in Drive-By Shooting • Felon Found with Rifle During Saint Paul Traffic Stop
Jurisdictional Context
Ramsey County encompasses Saint Paul and is served by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. Felony cases are heard in the Second Judicial District at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown Saint Paul; the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office operates the Ramsey County Correctional Facility in Maplewood.
