MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 in December 2022.
Former Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson is now officially out of a job with Metro Transit Police, a position in which he was briefly reinstated following his departure from public office.
According to a statement from the Metropolitan Council on Thursday, Hutchinson was discharged from MTPD on March 17, from a position he held before being elected sheriff. Met Council officials said the termination came in response to a completed probe into a formal complaint filed against Hutchinson upon his reinstatement.
At the time of his reinstatement in January, the Met Council said Hutchinson had been already been placed on leave, pending the investigation's outcome.
"After Mr. Hutchinson’s reinstatement, a formal complaint was filed, and the Met Council did a full investigation into the allegations," the statement read. "Based on the results of the investigation, Mr. Hutchinson has been discharged and is no longer an employee of the Metro Transit Police Department."
In documents obtained from the Metro Transit Police Department, Police Chief Ernest Morales wrote that the department determined Hutchinson "violated" several of its "policies and procedures," ultimately leading to his termination.
Several factors for his dismissal were cited as a result of the investigation, including a drunk driving incident while serving as sheriff in which Hutchinson crashed a county-issued vehicle, made false statements to police, and was arrested and charged with a DWI. The chief also said allegations of creating a "hostile work environment" while sheriff — that led to a censure by the Hennepin County Board in December — also played a part in the MTPD's decision to fire Hutchinson.
"Your behavior demonstrated poor judgment and reflected poorly on all of us in the department," Chief Williams wrote.
Hutchinson's reinstatement as sergeant came after he took a leave of absence from MTPD, before achieving victory in the 2018 Hennepin County Sheriff's race.
According to a Minnesota statute, state employees who are "elected to a full-time city or county office ... are entitled to a leave of absence ... without pay ... with right of reinstatement" to "the public position held a the time of entry" into office.
While the MTPD invited Hutchinson to challenge its decision in a courtroom on March 17, Hutchinson reportedly did not attend, officially waiving his right to a hearing in a letter to the Metropolitan Council on April 5.
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