More than 35 Minnesota police officers were disciplined in 2025 through licensing actions issued by the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training, according to records reviewed by MN CRIME.
The POST Board is the state agency responsible for licensing peace officers and has independent authority to impose discipline that can occur separately from, or in addition to, discipline imposed by an officer’s employing agency.
The records reflect only final disciplinary actions taken by the POST Board. They do not include suspensions, terminations or other internal discipline imposed by police departments or sheriff’s offices. In some cases, agencies disciplined officers before POST Board action occurred. In others, the POST Board imposed licensing sanctions regardless of whether agency discipline had already been issued. POST Board discipline directly affects an officer’s ability to hold a peace officer license anywhere in Minnesota.
The 2025 disciplinary data shows a wide range of misconduct reviewed at the state level. Driving under the influence was the most common conduct cited, appearing 10 times in the POST Board’s final actions. Alcohol-related misconduct extended beyond DWI cases, with two employees showing up to work and appearing intoxicated. Misusing a position of authority occurred five times, making it the second most frequent conduct reviewed by the board.
Other conduct types appeared less frequently but reflected the breadth and seriousness of cases addressed by the POST Board. Sexual harassment appeared twice, while theft, providing false information, falsifying information, creating false training records, furnishing alcohol to a minor, domestic assault, intentional mishandling of evidence, excessive use-of-force, criminal vehicular operation, reckless discharge of a firearm, burglary, prescription drug abuse, malicious punishment of a child, third-degree criminal sexual conduct, describing sexual conduct to a child and production of child pornography each occurred one time.
Daniel Siebsen had his peace officer license revoked following a case involving criminal malicious punishment of a child. Investigators determined Siebsen physically assaulted his nine-year-old son in October 2021, including pushing him to the ground, restricting his breathing and striking him, while the child reported ongoing physical and verbal abuse at home and expressed fear and suicidal thoughts. Law enforcement documented inconsistent statements from Siebsen before he admitted to striking, pushing and shoving the child, along with text messages that supported a pattern of abusive conduct. Siebsen accepted a plea to the lesser gross misdemeanor charge of contributing to the need for child protection and was sentenced to two years of probation.
Ethan Mahrer had his peace officer license revoked following a domestic assault case. Investigators determined Mahrer forced entry into his ex-girlfriend’s home in March 2024, armed himself with a handgun and made repeated statements indicating he intended to kill himself while preventing her from calling 911. The incident ended after a family member intervened. Officers located a loaded handgun inside the residence. Mahrer pled guilty to third-degree burglary in exchange for the dismissal of several other first-degree burglary charges. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, five years of probation and was ordered to pay more than $4,700 in restitution.
Campbell Blair had his peace officer license revoked following a head-on crash that seriously injured a family traveling on Highway 95 in Afton in October 2024. Investigators determined Blair, who was wearing a Washington County Sheriff’s Office uniform, crossed the center line and struck a Ford Expedition carrying two adults and five children after witnesses reported his vehicle weaving and driving erratically for miles. A preliminary breath test showed an alcohol concentration of .092, and the crash left the driver of the Expedition with multiple fractures and injuries requiring surgery and hospitalization. Blair pled guilty to the felony charge of criminal vehicular operation causing substantial bodily harm. Several other charges were dismissed. He was sentenced to four months in jail and four years of probation.
According to data provided by the POST Board, there were a total of 36 officers in Minnesota who were disciplined through licensing actions in 2024. There were 14 total in 2023, 34 in 2022 and 16 in 2021.
