Thompson Guilty in Fatal Minneapolis Crash, Drug Trafficking Case

Oct 13

*Scene of the Minneapolis crash* *Friday, June 16, 2023*. Submitted

A Brooklyn Park man has been found guilty in federal court of illegally possessing a firearm and fentanyl after a high-speed crash killed five people last year.

*The drugs, gun, ammo and extended mag police recovered in Thompson’s rented Escalade.*

A federal jury convicted Derrick John Thompson, 29, of one count of possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm as a felon and one count of carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

The verdict came after a five-day trial in U.S. District Court. Thompson, a previously convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for a later date.

Previously: Driver Kills 5 and Flees in South Minneapolis

Thompson’s charges stem from a June 16, 2023, when a Minnesota State Trooper observed him speeding at 95 miles per hour in a 55 zone on I-35W in Minneapolis. Thompson was driving a black Cadillac Escalade when he abruptly cut across four lanes of traffic to exit at Lake Street. The Trooper began following the vehicle but did not initiate a traffic stop to avoid further reckless driving in city streets. Moments later, Thompson sped through a red light at the intersection of East Lake Street and 2nd Avenue South and struck a Honda Civic traveling through the intersection.

All five occupants of the Honda Civic—four adult women and one juvenile female—were killed in the crash. Witnesses directed responding officers to Thompson, who had fled the scene and was found sitting outside a nearby restaurant.

Investigators later found a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, more than 2,000 fentanyl pills and cocaine in Thompson’s rented Escalade. Testing confirmed that Thompson’s DNA was present on both the firearm and drugs. Evidence also showed that Thompson had rented the vehicle just 30 minutes before the fatal crash and messages found on his phone indicated ongoing fentanyl distribution.

Previously; Fed Charges After Felon Kills 5 in High-Speed Crash

Thompson is the son of former DFL State Representative John Thompson, who became an activist after the police killing of his co-worker Philando Castile in 2016 and won a seat representing Saint Paul’s east side in 2020. The next year, questions mounted as to whether Rep. Thompson actually lived in the district he was representing after police cited him for a July 2021 traffic violation in Saint Paul and he gave a Wisconsin ID. Multiple allegations of domestic abuse surfaced and Minnesota House DFL voted to expel Thompson from its caucus.

In April 2022, then-Saint Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell accused Rep. Thompson of abusing his position after he allegedly tried to bully police officers during his daughter’s traffic stop. He lost re-election by an overwhelming margin later that year.

Previously, Derrick Thompson pleaded guilty to fleeing police and causing a crash in California in Sept. 2018, according to local media. Thompson, who was 22 at the time, was fleeing from Ventura police and struck a pedestrian before bailing on foot. Two passengers in Thompson’s vehicle—one from Maplewood, Minn., and the other from Newport—were arrested, but Thompson was not found at the time. More than 17 pounds of marijuana and $20,000 in cash were found in the trunk of the vehicle, which crashed into a wall on the side of the roadway.

Thompson still faces charges of criminal vehicular homicide in Hennepin County Court related to 2023 crash. He remains in custody.