A Brainerd man crushed a coworker’s head with a hydraulic grapple while operating tree trimming equipment in Apple Valley, causing fatal injuries, according to charges.
Christopher Boone Crimmins, 34, faces one count of manslaughter in the second-degree for culpable negligence creating unreasonable risk, according to a complaint filed Friday in Dakota County District Court.
According to the complaint, Apple Valley police responded to a call about an injured person at an address in Apple Valley on August 20, 2026. Officers arrived to find the victim on the ground with significant head trauma and a large amount of blood around him. The victim was declared dead at the scene.
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Crimmins, who was present when officers arrived, told police he and the victim both worked for a tree trimming service and had arrived in Apple Valley earlier that day from a job in Plymouth. Crimmins said he was the only crew member with a commercial driver’s license and was operating the boom on the truck, while the victim was on the ground cleaning up branches.
Crimmins admitted to officers that he and the victim were “f***ing around” and noticed the sunlight was casting shadows of both the grapple and the victim on the street. He said he maneuvered the grapple while watching the shadows, trying to make it look like the shadow of the grapple was grabbing the shadow of the victim.
Crimmins stated he was not looking at the victim or the grapple itself during this time and did not see the grapple moving toward the victim’s head. He then closed the grapple, crushing the victim’s head.
A witness at the scene reported seeing the grapple move toward the victim and either hit or pinch the victim’s head, causing severe injury. Officers observed blood on the grapple directly above where the victim was found.
The complaint states that both Crimmins and the victim were employed by the same tree trimming company and had been working together that day. No prior criminal history for Crimmins is mentioned in the complaint.
A court date for Crimmins has not yet been set.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s manslaughter statutes distinguish two degrees: § 609.20 (first-degree manslaughter) applies where the defendant intentionally causes a death under circumstances such as heat of passion or reckless use of force. § 609.205 (second-degree manslaughter) covers deaths caused by culpable negligence, including situations involving drugs or reckless conduct. First-degree manslaughter carries up to 15 years in prison; second-degree carries up to 10 years.
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Jurisdictional Context
Dakota County, immediately south of Saint Paul, is Minnesota’s third-largest county by population. The Dakota County Attorney’s Office prosecutes felonies through the First Judicial District; cases are heard at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings.
