LATEST COVERAGE
Coverage by Topic → Pursuit, Shooting, Stabbing, Fire, Assault, Arson, CrashHave News Content or Info? Submit a Tip
MN CRIME Archive
- December 2025 47
- November 2025 69
- October 2025 101
- September 2025 98
- August 2025 97
- July 2025 98
- June 2025 72
- May 2025 85
- April 2025 84
- March 2025 58
- February 2025 37
- January 2025 39
- December 2024 52
- November 2024 44
- October 2024 84
- September 2024 64
- August 2024 6
- March 2024 2
- February 2024 9
- October 2023 5
- September 2023 5
- August 2023 4
- July 2023 18
- June 2023 29
- May 2023 49
- April 2023 23
- March 2023 8
- February 2023 10
- January 2023 4
- December 2022 2
- November 2022 10
- October 2022 8
- September 2022 11
- August 2022 10
- July 2022 12
- June 2022 13
- May 2022 5
- April 2022 15
- March 2022 29
- February 2022 30
- January 2022 22
- December 2021 17
- November 2021 7
- October 2021 4
- September 2021 11
- August 2021 8
- July 2021 7
- June 2021 10
- May 2021 16
- April 2021 22
- March 2021 23
‘Red Flag’ Orders: How They’re Being Enforced in 2025
It’s been nearly two years since Minnesota’s "Red Flag" law went into effect. Despite initial confusion, court data from the first two years of the law's operation shows exactly how judges are applying it.
Eyes in the Sky: The Rules of Police Drones Over Your Backyard
While this technology allows officers to "see" a scene before they arrive, it has raised valid privacy concerns. Here is what Minnesota law actually says about the camera hovering over your neighborhood.
Selling Death: Why Dealers Are Facing Murder Charges
While "Murder 3" was once rare, the explosion of fentanyl has made it a standard tool in the prosecutorial belt. Here’s how the law works and why it is catching so many dealers off-guard.
Carjacking vs. Auto Theft: ‘Force Factor’ Explains Jail Time
Understanding this legal distinction explains why two teenagers arrested for "stealing cars" can face drastically different fates—one released to their parents, the other certified as an adult facing a decade in prison.
‘Mailbox Ticket’ Arrives: Minnesota’s Speed Cameras Explained
Unlike the controversial "red light cameras" of the early 2000s (which were ruled unconstitutional in State v. Kuhlman), this new system was built with specific legal guardrails to survive court challenges.
The ‘Snow Emergency’ Rulebook: Your Rights When the Tow Arrives
For thousands of residents, this means the dreaded "Snow Emergency" dance. But before you pay a $300 impound fee, you need to know your rights under Minnesota's towing statutes.
A $500 Mistake: Minnesota’s Strict School Bus Stop-Arm Laws
Making the wrong choice is expensive. Under Minnesota law, violating a school bus stop arm is not a typical traffic ticket. It can lead to drastic changes to your driving privileges.
The PIT Maneuver: How Police End High-Speed Chases
When a pursuit becomes too dangerous to continue, officers have a tool to end it forcibly: the Pursuit Intervention Technique, commonly known as the PIT maneuver.
1 Crash, No License Until 18: Understanding ‘Vanessa's Law’
For a teenager with a provisional license, a relatively minor crash can trigger a "nuclear option" in Minnesota law that strips them of driving privileges until their 18th birthday.
Legal Cannabis, Illegal Drive: The ‘Open Package’ Trap
Just like alcohol, there is a strict "Open Package Law" for cannabis in cars, and violating it is one of the easiest ways to turn a routine traffic stop into a criminal misdemeanor.
No More Seized Plates? Minnesota Legal Changes You Should Know
For decades, these special registration plates have been the visual hallmark of repeat DWI offenders in Minnesota. But the way police handle these impoundments has fundamentally changed.
Assault in Minnesota: From ‘Fear’ to ‘Great Bodily Harm’
While the intent to harm might be similar in two different altercations, Minnesota statutes rigidly categorize assault based on the physical outcome—specifically, whether a bone was broken, a weapon was displayed, or a permanent injury was inflicted.
Criminal Vehicular Homicide: When a Crash Becomes a Crime
For victims' families, the penalties for Criminal Vehicular Homicide often feel insufficient, yet prosecutors face a steep uphill battle to prove the "depraved mind" required for a murder conviction in a traffic incident.
Theft vs. Robbery and the $1,000 Felony Line
"Theft" and "Robbery" are often used interchangeably in casual conversation, but in Minnesota courts, they are distinct crimes with very different sentencing guidelines.
Murder vs. Manslaughter: Minnesota's Homicide Statutes Explained
When a violent death occurs in Minneapolis, Saint Paul or anywhere in Minnesota, the specific charge filed dictates the potential prison time.
Ski Coach Sentenced to Prison for Creating, Possessing Child Porn
Investigators discovered the suspect had been working with children as a ski coach and used Adobe Photoshop to digitally alter photos of them. Authorities say he morphed the children’s faces onto explicit images of child sexual abuse.
Minnesota Man Indicted in Pay-Per-View Animal Torture Case
Federal authorities announced Tuesday that 32-year-old Bryan Wesley Edison has been indicted on sixteen counts of animal crushing, a federal crime that carries significant penalties.
Victims of Fatal Helicopter Crash Near Airlake Airport Identified
81-year-old Dave Schmitz, of Spooner, Wisc., and 66-year-old Robert Drallmeier, of Glenwood City, Wisc., died of multiple blunt force injuries at the scene near Highview Avenue and 219th Street around 2:45 p.m.
FEDS: Minnesota Man Distributed ‘How to Kill a Judge’ Manifesto
According to a federal complaint, Robert Phillip Ivers was arrested Sept. 3 after staff at the Wayzata Library reported that he was printing copies of the manifesto and showing it to employees.
2 Men Indicted in Overseas Bombings, Murders
51-year-old Benedict Nwana Kuah and 52-year-old Pascal Kikishy Wongbi are accused of leading operations for the Ambazonia Defense Forces, an armed separatist group in Cameroon.