BECKER COUNTY (trfnews.i234.me) — A 91-year-old Lake Park man has been charged with felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and two counts of misdemeanor fourth-degree DWI after a police pursuit and alcohol-related incident in July.
According to court documents filed in Becker County District Court, Ernest Franklin Sayler, 91, of rural Lake Park, allegedly assaulted a healthcare worker at the Essentia Clinic in Lake Park on the morning of July 17 before fleeing the scene in a tan Lincoln sedan.
A Lake Park police officer soon located Sayler’s vehicle nearby and initiated a traffic stop. When asked about the incident at the clinic, Sayler reportedly admitted he “touched” the healthcare worker after she said something he didn’t like, describing the gesture as a “brush or tap.”
According to the criminal complaint, Sayler showed signs of intoxication, including slurred speech, watery eyes, and the odor of alcohol. Due to his age, the officer did not administer standard field sobriety tests but requested a preliminary breath test, which returned a 0.096 BAC reading.
As the officer returned to his squad car to contact Sayler’s family, Sayler allegedly drove away from the scene. The officer pursued and stopped him again a few blocks later. During the encounter, Sayler became argumentative, denied drinking, and at one point raised his fist, brushing the officer’s face and knocking his glasses askew.
Moments later, Sayler again put his car into drive and sped off, leading officers on a low-speed pursuit through Lake Park. He turned onto Highway 10 and later onto County Highway 1, reportedly reaching speeds between 60 and 65 mph in a 55 mph zone.
After additional law enforcement units joined the pursuit, Sayler eventually pulled over and was arrested without further incident. At the Becker County Jail, about 90 minutes after the initial stop, he agreed to a breath test that registered a 0.11 BAC.
Sayler’s first court appearance is scheduled for October 21 before Judge Michael D. Fritz. If convicted, he faces potential prison time and fines under Minnesota’s felony fleeing and DWI statutes.
The case remains under investigation by the Lake Park Police Department and the Becker County Sheriff’s Office. For more details on Minnesota’s impaired driving laws, visit the Minnesota Statutes §169A.20.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
Ernest Franklin Sayler