MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — Newly released video shows a Maple Grove police officer being dragged nearly 40 yards by a suspect following a traffic stop last month.
According to the criminal complaint, the incident happened on Nov. 13 around midnight.
Maple Grove police officers pulled over a vehicle for tinted windows and a failure to signal. Officers noticed an empty container of alcohol and they asked the driver to step out of the vehicle.
After a few minutes of conversation outside the vehicle, the complaint says the driver ran, jumped into the driver’s seat and drove away, causing one officer to fall to the ground, and dragging another officer for 40 yards.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has filed felony charges against the suspect for obstruction and fleeing an officer, but police argue it's not enough.
The Maple Grove Police Department and the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA) both released statements Wednesday criticizing the charging decisions in the case.
“We feel this falls short of what should be charged,” MPPOA general counsel Imran Ali said
The MMPOA argues a felony charge of assault with a dangerous weapon is a more appropriate charge in this case, arguing the suspect’s vehicle is the weapon and the suspect used it to harm an officer.
"When situations like this happen and they are injured on duty, that these cases be treated like other cases, that these cases be prosecuted aggressively to ensure that this type of conduct doesn't happen,” Ali said.
The Maple Grove PD agreed, in a statement Chief Eric Werner said “I am troubled and alarmed felony assault charges were declined by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.”
Ali says an assault charge comes with a mandatory minimum prison sentence, whereas obstruction and fleeing do not.
“When we have a case like this not prosecuted aggressively all it does is send a message to people in the community not only do you not pull over, but even if you do pull over, and if things aren’t going your way, flee, and if you feel, the consequences are going to be minimal,” Ali said.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office disagrees.
A spokesperson says several senior-level attorneys reviewed this case and based on the facts they can't prove the suspect was intentionally trying to injure the officer with his vehicle.
“Any prosecutor or defense attorney understands we need evidence to support charges,” a statement reads.
“Unfortunately, we are unable to rely on false characterizations of the facts by individuals from interest groups who don't have access to all the evidence in this case.”
Here is the full statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office:
“We are grateful the officer in this case escaped the incident with minor injuries. We fully recognize and appreciate the potential danger of the defendant’s actions and that is why we charged him with two felonies for his conduct.
“As any prosecutor or defense attorney understands, we need evidence to support charges and prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt. Unfortunately we are unable to rely on false characterizations of the facts by individuals from interest groups who don’t have access to all the evidence in the case. The evidence here is the defendant fled from officers in a motor vehicle and caused injuries while interfering with the officer’s duties. And we charged him with the most serious charges we were ethically able to charge based on the evidence.”
Here is the full statement from the Maple Grove Police Department:
Maple Grove Police Officer Brandon Gross conducted a traffic stop on November 13, 2023, in the interest of public safety.
The vehicle driver, Daniel Rudolph, fled and resisted Officer Gross. Mr. Rudolph placed Officer Gross and his partner in a deadly situation by dragging Officer Gross with his vehicle for over 40 yards.
Officer Gross was unable to return to work for over two weeks due to the injuries sustained from Mr. Rudolph’s dangerous actions. Mr. Rudolph continued to endanger the public as he fled the scene by driving off the roadway at a high rate of speed to gain access to the interstate highway and escape.
Investigators from the Maple Grove Police Department, Anoka-Hennepin Narcotics and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Plymouth Police Department conducted a search for several days to locate and arrest Mr. Rudolph.
Fortunately, Mr. Rudolph, with a history of felony level violent crimes, was taken into custody without incident. Maple Grove Police Chief Eric Werner states, “I am troubled and alarmed felony assault charges against Mr. Rudolph were declined by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.”
Today, offenders are emboldened and frequently resist or flee police officers – exposing the public and public safety officials to their dangerous behavior. Chief Werner added, “our dedicated, professional, and compassionate officers risk their lives each day to keep our community safe. I am relieved and grateful that Officer Gross was not gravely injured or killed during this incident.”
Here is the full statement from the MMPOA:
During a traffic stop, a Maple Grove police officer was purposefully dragged 40 yards in a car driven by a repeat felon with a lengthy criminal history, and yet the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office declined to charge the suspect with assault.
On November 13, 2023, Maple Grove Police Officer Brandon Gross and his police officer partner executed a traffic stop that ended with the suspect, Daniel Rudolph of St. Louis Park, pinning the officer’s arm between the suspect’s body and the driver’s seat, causing Officer Gross to be dragged for approximately 40 yards. The suspect said, “I got you! I got you!” and then a few second later he accelerated the vehicle and tried shutting the door on the officer while he was dragging him. During the dragging, the suspect extinguished his headlights, along with other factors that indicate he knew Officer Gross was being dragged. Rudolph has formerly been convicted of armed robbery and other felony-level crimes.
Minnesota Police and Peace Officer General Counsel Imran Ali (and former Washington County Prosecutor) said, “A repeat felon used his vehicle as a weapon and dragged a police officer 40 yards. The Hennepin County Attorney Office (HCAO) declined to charge this as an assault, even though the evidence and probable cause exists.”
“This charging decision represents an alarming trend from the HCAO where violent offenders are not charged, or under charged, with crimes. Minnesota law has long recognized vehicles being treated as weapons in these types of situations. It is alarming how police officers are treated differently than citizens in the eyes of the HCAO.”
Officer Gross sustained an injury to his shoulder that kept him out of work for over two weeks. He is medically cleared to return to work but has lingering pain and swollen/inflamed ligaments in his shoulder from being dragged.
The Hennepin County Attorney assigned to the case declined 2nd Degree Assault charges and instead charged the suspect with Fleeing and felony Obstruction. Maple Grove Police Chief Eric Werner asked for a review and the Senior Attorney declined as well.
Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association Executive Director Brian Peters said, “Public safety officials put their lives on the line to protect their fellow citizens and enforce laws. Those that would seek to harm them should face penalties, but the HCAO is again prioritizing criminals over law enforcement.”
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