Son Of Ex-DFL Rep. Federally Charged In Quintuple Fatal Crash

MINNEAPOLIS — The son of former St. Paul Democratic-Farmer-Labor Rep. John Thompson has been federally charged in a Minneapolis crash that killed five people.

Derrick John Thompson, 28, of Brooklyn Park, was charged Thursday with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm as a felon, and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

Thompson's initial appearance in U.S. District Court has not yet been scheduled. He is currently being held in Hennepin County Jail on $1,000,000 bail.

"These federal charges underscore the seriousness of Mr. Thompson’s criminal actions. We will continue to take an aggressive stance against individuals who engage in armed fentanyl dealing and present grave danger to our community," said Andrew M. Luger in a news release.

In addition to the new federal charges, Thompson also faces 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide in state court. His state jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 20.

On June 16, a trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol watched as a black Cadillac SUV sped north on I-35W at 95 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour speed zone, according to authorities.

The driver — later identified as Thompson — abruptly cut across four lanes of traffic to exit the freeway at the Lake Street exit, investigators said.

The trooper began following the SUV but did not initiate the emergency lights, fearing the driver would make a dangerous decision, according to authorities.

At 2nd Avenue South and East Lake Street, Thompson sped through a red light at the intersection without stopping or slowing and struck — at full speed — the driver’s side of a Honda Civic that was traveling lawfully through the intersection, investigators said.

All five occupants of the Honda Civic — including four women and a girl — were killed.

At the scene, witnesses reported that Thompson fled on foot through a nearby alley, according to authorities. Police found Thompson sitting on the curb outside of a nearby restaurant and arrested him.

Officers detained Thompson, who was later transported to Hennepin County Medical Center for evaluation.

At the scene, police found a Hertz rental record for the Cadillac SUV, indicating that Thompson rented the vehicle from a Hertz located at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport only 30 minutes before the crash, according to authorities.

A search of the SUV turned up a black leather bag that contained a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, three baggies containing more than 2,000 blue "M-Box 30" fentanyl pills, a baggie containing an additional 14 grams of powdered fentanyl, a baggie containing 13 MDMA pills, a baggie containing 35 grams of cocaine, and a digital scale, according to police.

Thompson has multiple prior felony convictions and is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time, authorities said.