Crime & Safety

Burnsville Man Charged with Fleeing Officers, DWI

Police say Quintin Eugene Edwards told them he was drinking to get over the death of his friend.

A Burnsville man has been charged with fleeing police and drunken driving after authorities say he ran a red light, then admitted that he’d been drinking because he was trying to get over the death of a friend.

Quintin Eugene Edwards, 27, faces a felony charge of fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. He is also charged with second-degree DWI and refusing to submit to a breath test, both gross misdemeanors with a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $3,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, a Burnsville police officer on patrol just after 1:00 a.m. Dec. 8 saw Edwards, driving north on Lac Lavon Drive, run a red light Southcross Drive. Edwards, who was also driving 66 mph in a 45 mph zone, turned west onto Evergreen Drive without signaling, the complaint says.

Find out what's happening in Burnsvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The officer turned on the squad car’s emergency lights to signal Edwards to stop, which he failed to do, according to the complaint. At one point he stuck his hand out the window and pointed at the sky before stopping at a dead end.

The officer smelled a strong odor of alcohol on Edwards’ breath and said he had watery, bloodshot eyes, according to the complaint. Edwards told police that he had been drinking because he was trying to get over his friend’s death.

Find out what's happening in Burnsvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At the police station, Edwards told police he wanted to contact an attorney. Instead, he called his mother, and after that conversation became “upset and uncooperative,” according to the complaint.

Police asked him if he still wanted to call an attorney, and Edwards replied, “[Expletive] you, take me to jail,” the complaint says.

Police asked Edwards if he would take a breath test; Edwards replied, “[Expletive] no,” according to the complaint. Officers asked why he was refusing; he replied, “It doesn’t matter. You figure it out,” the complaint says.

Edwards’ criminal history includes DWI convictions in Dakota County in 2008 and 2009.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.