Clearbrook, Clearwater County (trfnews.i234.me) Jerry Gordon Sather, 81, of Clearbrook, is facing new criminal charges.
Charges filed
Prosecutors charged Sather with third-degree refusal to submit to a chemical test.
That count is a gross misdemeanor under Minnesota law.
He is also charged with obstructing legal process, a misdemeanor.
All charges are allegations.
What the complaint alleges
A deputy reported the stop happened on Tower Street in Clearbrook.
The deputy was on stationary patrol on February 25, 2026.
The time was about 2:50 p.m., according to the complaint.
The deputy said the driver held a cell phone to his ear.
The deputy then initiated a traffic stop.
The complaint says the deputy smelled alcohol from the vehicle.
The deputy also noted watery eyes.
The deputy reported seeing an open beer can near Sather.
An unopened beer can was also reported nearby.
Sather allegedly said he drank earlier.
Arrest and reported resistance
The complaint says the deputy asked Sather to do field sobriety tests.
Sather allegedly refused.
He allegedly said he would not pass the tests.
The deputy arrested him on suspicion of impaired driving.
The complaint says Sather became upset during the arrest.
It alleges he raised his cane as if to strike the deputy.
The deputy then handcuffed him, the complaint says.
It also alleges Sather continued to resist.
A later vehicle search allegedly found another open beer can.
Hospital visit and test refusal
Authorities took Sather to a Sanford emergency department for medical clearance.
The complaint says he made a threat during the visit.
Investigators then sought a warrant for a blood or urine sample.
The complaint says a judge signed the warrant.
Sather reportedly refused to provide a sample.
The complaint says he refused despite the signed warrant.
Prior case and court status
Court records note a prior refusal conviction from 2010.
That prior case was a gross misdemeanor.
Bail was set at $0 with conditions, according to court records.
Sather must follow release rules while the case continues.
Alleged offense date: February 25, 2026
Date filed: February 26, 2026
External resources
For Minnesota’s test refusal statute, see Minn. Stat. § 169A.52.
For public case searches, see Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO).
For agency information, see the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.