Twin Cities man with stunning number of DWIs jailed on New Year’s Eve on suspicion of driving drunk

Undaunted by his nearly two dozen drunken-driving convictions, a Minneapolis man with no license was stopped on New Year’s Eve yet again and arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to officials.

Michael James Bowser, 69, appeared Monday in Hennepin County District Court on charges of felony drunken driving and fleeing law enforcement in connection with a state trooper pulling him over Dec. 31 in Brooklyn Center.

Bowser remained jailed Tuesday in lieu of $60,000 bail ahead of a hearing Jan. 23. A message was left with his attorney seeking a response to the allegations.

A Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) social media post disclosed that Bowser has been convicted 21 times for drunken driving.

Bowser is still short of being the most prolific when it comes to getting caught driving drunk in Minnesota. In 2018, Danny Lee Bettcher already had a state record at the time of 27 drunken-driving arrests when he was convicted in Otter Tail County with yet another DWI.

“Drunk drivers put lives at risk every single time they get behind the wheel,” said Sheriff’s Maj. Shane Magnuson, who oversees the HCSO’s Public Safety Services bureau. “We are committed to ensuring our streets are safe, and we are grateful to our deputy for his work on this case.”

Bowser has been getting caught drinking and driving in Minnesota for roughly a quarter-century, according to court records.

According to the latest charges against Bowser:

A sheriff’s sergeant saw a pickup truck speeding near Brooklyn Boulevard and Osseo Road and erratically changing lanes. Bowser was soon pulled over at Osseo Road and Queen Avenue. Despite his breath smelling of alcohol, he denied having been drinking that night.

The sheriff’s sergeant checked on the status of Bowser’s driver’s license and learned it had been canceled out of concern for public safety.

Told he was under arrest, Bowser drove off at speeds of 70 to 80 mph until he quickly crashed. He kept up his flight — this time on foot — but was soon captured.

In late November, the state Department of Public Safety disclosed that 127,419 law enforcement stops have been made in Minnesota over the past five years of people driving while impaired. The agency also noted there were 664 alcohol-related driving deaths in Minnesota from 2019 to 2023.