Police report: Rep. Engen DWI stop included armed, intoxicated Rep. Hudson
Republican Rep. Elliott Engen was stopped in White Bear Lake around 1:50 a.m. on March 27 for speeding, expired registration and an inoperable headlight, was arrested and later charged with DWI after recording a .13 blood‑alcohol concentration on breath tests; Engen told officers he had two 12‑ounce Coors Lights earlier, was described as disheveled, and later questioned the accuracy of the tests. The police report identifies fellow GOP Rep. Walter Hudson as a passenger who admitted owning a liquor bottle found in a child’s car seat and told officers he was carrying a concealed 9mm Smith & Wesson, which police removed and held for safekeeping, though the report shows no indication his blood alcohol was tested.
📌 Key Facts
- On March 27, White Bear Lake police stopped Rep. Elliott Engen around 1:50 a.m. for speeding, expired registration and an inoperable headlight; he was arrested on suspicion of DWI.
- Engen, a Republican state representative from White Bear Township and a candidate for Minnesota State Auditor, was booked on a pending fourth-degree DWI, later released, and has since been formally charged with DWI.
- Breath tests showed Engen had a .13 blood-alcohol concentration; officers described him as disheveled with his shirt half unbuttoned. Engen questioned the test accuracy and requested additional testing at the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center.
- Engen initially told officers he was 'sober cabbing' and denied drinking, then later admitted to having two 12‑ounce Coors Light beers at the White Bear Bar between about 11:00 and 11:30 p.m.
- Rep. Walter Hudson was a passenger in Engen’s vehicle; Hudson told officers he owned a liquor bottle found tucked into a child’s car seat and said he was carrying a concealed 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol.
- Police removed Hudson’s gun and held it for 'safekeeping'; the report shows no indication officers tested Hudson’s blood-alcohol level despite Engen saying Hudson had been drinking and Minnesota’s .04 BAC limit for carrying.
- The stop involved two sitting state lawmakers riding together in the same vehicle.
📊 Relevant Data
Between September 1, 2002, and June 30, 2024, White offenders constituted 62.0% of felony DWI prison admissions in Minnesota (3,262 admissions), Black 18.0% (949), American Indian 13.8% (728), Hispanic 5.0% (262), and Asian 1.1% (60), out of a total of 5,264 admissions.
Minnesota Felony Driving While Impaired Report 2025 — Minnesota Department of Corrections
Genetics account for an estimated 50-60% of alcohol use disorder risk in the United States, with polygenic risk scores explaining 1.3% of variance in African-ancestry participants and 1.9% in European-ancestry participants.
New Study Reveals Genetic, Psychiatric, and Environmental Factors Contributing to Alcohol Use Disorder — Yale School of Medicine
In 2022, serious criminal offenders in Minnesota were 11 times more likely to be Black than White per capita, with the Black-to-White offender ratio for serious crimes at 11:1, while the prison population ratio was 8.5:1.
Minnesota's Offender Outcomes Devoid of Racial Bias — Center for the American Experiment
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- White Bear Lake police report identifies Rep. Walter Hudson as a passenger in Engen’s vehicle during the March 27 DWI stop.
- Hudson admitted to owning a liquor bottle found tucked into a child’s car seat and told officers he was carrying a concealed 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol.
- Police removed Hudson’s gun and held it for 'safekeeping' but the report shows no indication officers tested his blood alcohol level, despite Engen saying Hudson had been drinking and Minnesota’s .04 BAC limit for carrying.
- The report details Engen initially claimed to be 'sober cabbing,' denied drinking, then later admitted to having two 12‑ounce Coors Lights at White Bear Bar between 11:00 and 11:30 p.m.
- Engen’s clothing was described as disheveled with his shirt half unbuttoned, and he ultimately blew a .13 BAC on breath tests, later questioning the accuracy and requesting additional testing at the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center.
- Confirms that Rep. Elliott Engen has now been formally charged with DWI, not just arrested on suspicion.
- Reiterates that Rep. Walter Hudson was the armed passenger in the vehicle at the time of the stop, underscoring that two sitting lawmakers were involved in the same incident.
- Provides Alpha News’ framing and emphasis, which may include additional quotes or political spin, but appears to rely on the same basic police-report facts already reported elsewhere.
- The Alpha News piece largely reiterates that Engen was stopped around 1:50 a.m. in White Bear Lake for speeding, expired registration, and an inoperable headlight, then arrested on suspicion of DWI with a reported BAC of 0.13.
- It confirms his status as a Republican legislator from White Bear Township and a candidate for State Auditor.
- It reiterates that he was booked on a pending fourth-degree DWI and later released; formal charges were still pending at the time of reporting.