Pennington County, MN (trfnews.i234.me)—On December 24 at 8:22 p.m., the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle parked in the middle of an intersection on Wendt Drive. Upon arrival, a deputy found Thomas Paul Murphy, 59, of Thief River Falls, asleep in the driver’s seat of the idling vehicle. Murphy did not awaken until the deputy physically roused him. He exhibited signs of impairment and failed field sobriety tests.
At the Law Enforcement Center, Murphy requested to speak with an attorney and made four unsuccessful attempts to contact one. He then refused to submit to a breath test until he could consult with legal counsel. Murphy was subsequently charged with third-degree DWI (test refusal) and fourth-degree DWI (alcohol) and was arrested.
I’m Chris Harper, reporting for trfnews.i234.me