SHERIFF
02-07-2004, 05:35 PM
ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC!
Minnesota
Trooper charged in high-speed lift for a friend
February 5, 2004
State trooper Jennifer Schneider was on duty, with a State Patrol-sponsored Explorer Scout along for the ride, when she learned that a colleague had a flat tire and couldn't make it to a hockey game in Eagan at 10 p.m. So she picked him up in Lino Lakes about 9:30, and raced down Interstate Hwy. 35E, reaching more than 110 miles per hour with lights and sirens flashing, authorities said.
When she reached Eagan, Schneider, 25, allegedly hit a car trying to pull out of her way on Pilot Knob Road. Nobody was hurt in the Dec. 18 crash. When police arrived, she claimed to have been chasing a car that ran a red light, according to charges filed this week in Dakota County District Court.
The ruse went unnoticed until an anonymous tipster called the State Patrol, which asked Eagan police to investigate.
Schneider, who is on paid leave pending the outcome of the court case, could lose her law-enforcement license if she is convicted of gross-misdemeanor misconduct, said a state police licensing official.
The investigation revealed that shortly after the crash, an Eagan police officer arrived and took off-duty trooper Michael Olson to the Civic Ice Arena in Eagan to play for the State Patrol hockey team. Schneider's husband also played on the team.
When a state trooper arrived at the crash, Schneider told him that the Explorer Scout was her only passenger.
She also said she had hit the car while chasing another vehicle that ran a red light, the complaint said. The investigation report noted that Lino Lakes and the Eagan ice arena were not in her patrol area.
Besides the misconduct charge, Schneider also faces three misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, misusing emergency equipment and providing a false crime report. She could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Such behavior hurts the image of the patrol, which relies on the public's confidence, said its chief, Col. Anne Beers.
"One moment, one egregious error of judgment makes all the impact in the world," she said. "You take a hit when you have an action like this, there's no doubt about that. We don't want the public to question why we have on red lights and sirens when we need them in an emergency situation."
But Beers thinks people will remember the patrol's history of service and realize this is one officer "out of 540 troopers out there every day, doing great deeds and contributing to safety on the highway."
Schneider joined the State Patrol in 2000. She has had no previous disciplinary charges and several commendations, and has volunteered as a mentor for the Explorer Scouts program, Beers said.
Kyle Paulson, 19, of Oakdale, was the Explorer riding with Schneider on Dec. 18. He told investigators that she told him to support her lie about pursuing a traffic violator if he was asked.
Robert Boxeth, 23, of Farmington, was driving the car that was hit. He is doing Army Reserve training, said his father, Mike Boxeth. Mike Boxeth said the patrol agreed to pay for the $3,500 damage to his son's car.
The State Patrol has begun an investigation to see if Schneider violated any policies or standards, such as those on unbecoming conduct, Beers said. It will also examine whether any other troopers violated patrol policies.
After the patrol review and criminal case, a committee of the state Peace Officers Standards and Training Board will review Schneider's licensure, said board Executive Director Neil Melton.
He said he couldn't recall any similar cases in his five years with the board. Other gross-misdemeanor cases included drunken-driving offenses by off-duty officers, whose licenses the board then suspended or revoked, Melton said. The allegations of misuse of a patrol vehicle and providing false information are "a very serious matter," he said.
Minnesota
Trooper charged in high-speed lift for a friend
February 5, 2004
State trooper Jennifer Schneider was on duty, with a State Patrol-sponsored Explorer Scout along for the ride, when she learned that a colleague had a flat tire and couldn't make it to a hockey game in Eagan at 10 p.m. So she picked him up in Lino Lakes about 9:30, and raced down Interstate Hwy. 35E, reaching more than 110 miles per hour with lights and sirens flashing, authorities said.
When she reached Eagan, Schneider, 25, allegedly hit a car trying to pull out of her way on Pilot Knob Road. Nobody was hurt in the Dec. 18 crash. When police arrived, she claimed to have been chasing a car that ran a red light, according to charges filed this week in Dakota County District Court.
The ruse went unnoticed until an anonymous tipster called the State Patrol, which asked Eagan police to investigate.
Schneider, who is on paid leave pending the outcome of the court case, could lose her law-enforcement license if she is convicted of gross-misdemeanor misconduct, said a state police licensing official.
The investigation revealed that shortly after the crash, an Eagan police officer arrived and took off-duty trooper Michael Olson to the Civic Ice Arena in Eagan to play for the State Patrol hockey team. Schneider's husband also played on the team.
When a state trooper arrived at the crash, Schneider told him that the Explorer Scout was her only passenger.
She also said she had hit the car while chasing another vehicle that ran a red light, the complaint said. The investigation report noted that Lino Lakes and the Eagan ice arena were not in her patrol area.
Besides the misconduct charge, Schneider also faces three misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, misusing emergency equipment and providing a false crime report. She could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Such behavior hurts the image of the patrol, which relies on the public's confidence, said its chief, Col. Anne Beers.
"One moment, one egregious error of judgment makes all the impact in the world," she said. "You take a hit when you have an action like this, there's no doubt about that. We don't want the public to question why we have on red lights and sirens when we need them in an emergency situation."
But Beers thinks people will remember the patrol's history of service and realize this is one officer "out of 540 troopers out there every day, doing great deeds and contributing to safety on the highway."
Schneider joined the State Patrol in 2000. She has had no previous disciplinary charges and several commendations, and has volunteered as a mentor for the Explorer Scouts program, Beers said.
Kyle Paulson, 19, of Oakdale, was the Explorer riding with Schneider on Dec. 18. He told investigators that she told him to support her lie about pursuing a traffic violator if he was asked.
Robert Boxeth, 23, of Farmington, was driving the car that was hit. He is doing Army Reserve training, said his father, Mike Boxeth. Mike Boxeth said the patrol agreed to pay for the $3,500 damage to his son's car.
The State Patrol has begun an investigation to see if Schneider violated any policies or standards, such as those on unbecoming conduct, Beers said. It will also examine whether any other troopers violated patrol policies.
After the patrol review and criminal case, a committee of the state Peace Officers Standards and Training Board will review Schneider's licensure, said board Executive Director Neil Melton.
He said he couldn't recall any similar cases in his five years with the board. Other gross-misdemeanor cases included drunken-driving offenses by off-duty officers, whose licenses the board then suspended or revoked, Melton said. The allegations of misuse of a patrol vehicle and providing false information are "a very serious matter," he said.