A Minneapolis man driving a Range Rover at about 90 mph on Interstate 94 in Saint Paul was arrested for DWI, after which officers found a loaded handgun in his vehicle and he refused to submit to a chemical test, according to the complaint.
Cortaz Lamar Gibson, 34, faces charges of possessing a firearm as a person barred due to prior felony convictions and refusing to submit to a chemical test for suspected DWI.
According to court documents, at around 3:05 a.m. on September 4, 2026, a trooper spotted a Range Rover with temporary tags speeding on Interstate 94. The trooper caught up and activated his emergency lights, and the Range Rover pulled off the highway, eventually stopping in a Saint Paul parking lot. When the trooper approached, Gibson admitted he did not have a driver’s license and said he was in a hurry to get home.
READ MORE → Ramsey County coverage
The complaint states the trooper observed Gibson had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and the odor of consumed alcohol in the vehicle. Gibson denied drinking but admitted to smoking marijuana earlier in the evening. He initially resisted getting out of the vehicle, saying he knew his rights, but eventually complied for field sobriety testing.
Gibson performed poorly on the tests and provided a preliminary breath sample that registered an alcohol concentration of 0.16. He was arrested for DWI. While officers prepared to tow the Range Rover, Gibson said he did not consent to a search of the vehicle. An officer then found a Taurus handgun between the driver’s seat and center console, loaded with a round in the chamber. The complaint notes this was the area Gibson had reached toward when asking to produce his identification.
On the way to jail, Gibson became agitated, telling the trooper he had violated Gibson’s rights and making threatening statements. At the jail, Gibson repeatedly interrupted the trooper’s attempt to read the breath test advisory, swore at the trooper and refused to cooperate. The trooper deemed this a refusal to submit to chemical testing.
Court records show Gibson has six prior felony convictions, including altering or defacing firearm identification, manufacturing or delivering cannabis in a school zone, resisting or obstructing an officer with injury, federal possession of a firearm or ammunition by a felon, VOCSL 5 and dangerous discharge of a firearm.
On April 15, 2026, Gibson was sentenced for dangerous discharge of a firearm in Hennepin County. The complaint notes that case was originally charged as second-degree assault after Gibson repeatedly shot at a vehicle a woman was in and then held a gun to her head, threatening to kill her. Gibson’s prior drug convictions make him ineligible to possess firearms or ammunition.
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
Permit Holder Fired ‘Warning Shot’ at Saint Paul Apartment • Loaded Stolen Glock Recovered After I-94 Pursuit in Saint Paul • Saint Paul Man Charged as Driver After Shots Fired at Home Twice
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.
