Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) — A Thief River Falls man is facing a third-degree DWI charge after a report of an intoxicated driver on March 15.
According to the report, police received a call at about 12:15 p.m. The caller said an intoxicated driver was trying to leave the Domino’s parking lot.
The suspect was identified as Eric Fox, 46, of Thief River Falls. He was later arrested.
Report Led Police To Apartment Lot
A short time later, a sheriff’s deputy told an officer the suspect vehicle was parked at Parkwood Apartments.
When the officer arrived, the vehicle was idling but empty. The officer also reported seeing three open alcohol containers in the center console.
Law enforcement stayed in the area and watched for the vehicle. Soon after, the vehicle was seen on Kinney Avenue.
Traffic Stop On Kinney Avenue
The officer drove past the vehicle and checked the driver’s clothing. The clothing matched the earlier description from the caller.
The officer then stopped the vehicle. During the stop, the officer reported signs of impairment from Fox.
Fox declined field sobriety testing. He also declined a preliminary breath test.
Breath Test Result
Police said Fox later agreed to a DataMaster breath test. That test showed a 0.23 blood alcohol concentration.
That level is well above the legal limit for driving in Minnesota.
Under Minnesota law, third-degree DWI is a gross misdemeanor. Case information in Pennington County is handled through Pennington County District Court.
Charge Filed
Fox has been charged with third-degree DWI. A charge is an allegation. It does not mean a conviction.
The case will move through the court process in the coming weeks. More details may be filed as the case moves forward.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.