BCA orders immediate statewide inspection of DWI testing instruments after data entry errors

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After the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension became aware of DWI testing instruments giving incorrect information, it has asked that law enforcement agencies around the state inspect their devices.

Two DataMaster DMT instruments, which measure breath alcohol levels, were discovered on Friday to have data entry errors that are related to gas cylinder installation on the devices. Those two devices with errors were in Olmsted County, potentially affecting 108 cases, and in Hennepin County, potentially affecting 38 cases, according to a news release from the BCA on Friday night.

Earlier, the BCA found errors in Aitkin, Winona and Chippewa counties.

The BCA is requiring local law enforcement agencies to “immediately review and verify dry gas cylinder data has been entered correctly into DataMaster instruments (DMT) currently being used.”

The BCA has ordered the suspension of all DMT usage until agencies verify the gas cylinder data in each instrument. In addition, the release said, “all gas cylinder replacements and maintenance” will be done by BCA personnel starting immediately, and the BCA plans to update its DMT maintenance procedures.

“This requirement follows the discovery of multiple data entry errors by trained operators during the installation of gas cylinders in the instrument,” the release said, but the agencies using the DWI testing instruments are “not necessarily responsible for the error as multiple law enforcement agencies use each instrument.”

“The BCA is committed to the highest level of quality in our forensics lab, and this is why we are conducting this review,” said BCA Superintendent Drew Evans. “We appreciate our law enforcement partners’ prompt attention to this inspection process.”

Law enforcement personnel who administer the breath tests and maintain the DMT instrument are specially trained in their use by the BCA.

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Man dies in Rush City prison cell; officials believe he fought with cell mate

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State officials say an inmate at Rush City Prison died Thursday afternoon after what authorities believe was an altercation with the man’s cellmate.

Few details were available about the death on Friday afternoon as the investigation continued.

A spokesperson for the state Department of Corrections gave the following details:

Shortly before 1:30 p.m. Thursday, correctional officers were called about a person down in a cell. They found a man with obvious injuries who was unresponsive. Despite lifesaving efforts from prison staff and local emergency medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead.

A preliminary investigation shows there may have been an altercation between the man and his cellmate. Investigators are looking into the circumstances that led up to the incident.

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy to determine the manner and cause of death.

The death is being investigated by investigators from the state DOC’s special investigations unit, the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

The man’s identity is being withheld until his family is notified.

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Without leads, investigators call off search for missing 33-year-old Farmington horse

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Investigators said Friday that without any new leads about Doogie, a 33-year-old Farmington horse who went missing Sept. 24, they will have to call off the search efforts for him.

Despite a $2,000 reward, K9 scenting dogs, drones, flyers, social media posts, and volunteers scouring trails, fields and wooded areas, there has been no trace of the horse.

Terra Schuster, Doogie’s owner, said that time is critical in finding the horse because he is missing teeth and therefore requires a specialized and costly diet.

“This horse means the world to me,” she said. “He’s not just a pet — he’s family. Horses don’t just vanish into thin air.”

Schuster described Doogie as “a sweet old soul who’s been with me through every chapter of life.”

About eight years ago, Doogie had all his teeth removed because of a medical issue, Schuster said Friday. He was put on a diet of mush and kept in a stall at night. During the day, he loves being in the pasture with his herd. Schuster said he’s “incredibly bonded to them.”

On Sept. 9, Doogie had a checkup and was given a clean bill of health, she said. “His heart rate was strong, no murmurs, his eyes looked good, and his bloodwork didn’t show any underlying issues.”

During the exam, the horse kept “calling out for his friends,” Schuster said. “At one point, he even broke away and ran down to the fence line just to see them. As many horse people in Minnesota know, horses rarely stray far from their herd when they get loose.”

On Sept. 24, Schuster was told her horse was missing. That evening she learned that two of the three fence lines in the pasture were down.

“Strangely, none of the other horses had left the pasture,” she said.

An investigator said Friday that they had no leads that would allow them to continue looking into Doogie’s disappearance, she said. “They also checked with their drone team, but this situation doesn’t meet the criteria for drone deployment.”

Farmers own much of the surrounding land, she said.

“And a few have asked that we not search their fields — whether on foot, horseback, or by drone — due to ongoing soybean harvesting and the upcoming corn harvest,” she said. “Thankfully, some neighbors have been incredibly kind, driving around and keeping an eye out. Two young kids even called to ask if I knew which direction Doogie might have gone. They had their mom drive them around to look for him and helped hang up posters in town.”

Schuster said she feels blessed by all the kind words, prayers and encouragement.

“There is no relationship quite like a little girl and her pony,” she said. “I have a (Facebook reel) of me calling for Doogie, and you can’t even see him high up on the pasture at our old barn — then you hear him call back and slowly making his way to me — then running.  I will cherish that memory for the rest of my life.”

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North Korea displays new long-range missile at military parade celebrating Kim Jong Un’s leadership

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — At a massive military parade attended by foreign leaders, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rolled out his nuclear-armed military’s most powerful weapons, including a new intercontinental ballistic missile he may be preparing to test in coming weeks.

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The parade, which began Friday night and marked the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party, highlighted Kim’s growing diplomatic footing and his relentless drive to build an arsenal that could viably target the continental United States and his rivals in Asia.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the parade featured a new, yet-to-be-tested intercontinental ballistic missile called the Hwasong-20, which it described as the “most powerful nuclear strategic weapons system.”

Other weapons on display included shorter range ballistic, cruise and supersonic missiles, which the North previously described as capable of delivering nuclear strikes against targets in rival South Korea.

In a speech at the parade, Kim said his military “must continue to evolve into an invincible force that eliminates all threats,” but made no direct mention of Washington or Seoul, according to comments published by KCNA.