Bemidji Man Charged In McDonald’s DWI Case

Bemidji (trfnews.i234.me) — A Bemidji man is facing a gross misdemeanor DWI charge after a reported driving complaint at McDonald’s.

David Lee Staples, of Bemidji, is charged in Beltrami County District Court.

The charge is third-degree DWI involving an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more within two hours.

The complaint lists the case as court file number 04-CR-26-944.

The alleged incident happened on April 26, 2026, in the City of Bemidji.

Vehicle Complaint At McDonald’s

According to the complaint, police responded to McDonald’s at about 9:46 p.m.

A caller reported that a Chrysler 300 was swerving.

The caller also said the vehicle hit the curb several times.

The vehicle was later reported to have pulled into McDonald’s.

Police found the Chrysler in the drive-thru, according to the complaint.

The driver was identified as David Lee Staples.

The complaint says Staples had slurred speech and bloodshot, watery eyes.

Police also reported that Staples seemed confused.

He also had trouble answering questions, according to the complaint.

The complaint says Staples was asked to move to a parking spot.

Police reported that he was too close to the building to exit safely.

Staples agreed to field sobriety testing, according to the complaint.

Police reported he showed poor balance while standing near a squad car.

The complaint says Staples did not complete field sobriety testing in a satisfactory way.

A preliminary breath test showed a result of 0.180, according to the complaint.

Staples was then arrested and taken to the Beltrami County Jail.

At the jail, he was read the breath test advisory.

He asked to speak with an attorney, according to the complaint.

After ending the attorney’s time, Staples agreed to a DMT breath test.

The complaint says the DMT test returned a result of 0.17 at 10:32 p.m.

The complaint says Staples has a prior gross misdemeanor DWI from 2006.

It also cites a prior qualifying impaired-driving offense from August 2002.

The current charge carries up to 364 days in jail.

It also carries a possible fine of up to $3,000.

The third-degree DWI statute is listed under Minnesota Statute 169A.26.

Beltrami County District Court is part of Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District.

More court information is available from the Minnesota Judicial Branch.

Staples is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.