A Minnesota state trooper was clocked driving at least 94 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone in his squad car near Fergus Falls, Minn., and charged by summons nearly two months later with speeding, authorities said Monday.
Sgt. Jesse Grabow, a 17-year veteran of the State Patrol and the agency's lead spokesman for western Minnesota and the St. Cloud area, was charged Friday in Otter Tail County in connection with the alleged offense on April 28.
"As state troopers, we are not immune to the dangers of exceeding the speed limit," Col. Matt Langer, chief of the State Patrol, said in a statement. "[The sergeant] erred in judgment and broke the law when he was observed speeding on duty without cause. We take this very seriously and have initiated an internal affairs investigation now that the city attorney has completed his review."
Grabow, 38, remains active on the force but will have his duties as a spokesman handled by other troopers for the time being, Langer said.
Telephone and e-mail messages were left with Grabow seeking his reaction to the charge, which carries upon conviction a fine of up to $300 plus a $150 surcharge, because he's accused of exceeding the speed limit by at least 31 mph.
According to the criminal complaint filed by the Fergus Falls city attorney's office:
About 6:45 a.m., 30 minutes or so after sunrise, trooper Robyn J. Birr was heading west on Hwy. 210 and saw a car heading east that appeared to be speeding. The trooper's radar recorded the car at 95 mph and 94 mph.
Birr activated her emergency lights, then turned them off after seeing that it was a trooper vehicle. Grabow sent a message to Birr after they had passed each other on Hwy. 210. The complaint does not say what the message contained, and Assistant City Attorney Joseph Ellig declined Monday to disclose its contents.
