Minnesota Officer Charged in Cruiser Assault

Feb. 27--A Hastings police officer accused of chasing down a bar customer and hitting him with his squad car last March faces criminal charges.

Rene Doffing, 44, faces felony and gross misdemeanor charges of assault, criminal vehicular injury and misconduct by a public officer.

The charges, filed Friday, aren't the first allegations of misconduct Doffing has faced in connection with the incident.

Hastings police placed him on paid leave after the episode, and the city fired him in May. An arbitrator later ruled Doffing should be reinstated to his job with all but 30 days' back pay.

"I expect our officers to be at a high standard," Hastings Police Chief Mike McMenomy said Tuesday, adding that he was limited on how much he could comment on the case.

Olmsted County and the Minnesota State Patrol investigated the incident instead of Dakota County prosecutors to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

Doffing, who lives in Hastings and joined the police department in 1994, is scheduled to appear in Dakota County court May 12.

As Doffing awaits the court appearance, Hastings city officials are deciding whether to appeal the arbitrator's ruling this year that gave him his job back.

Doffing did not comment Tuesday, but his attorney, Paul Engh, said his client questioned the timing and merit of the charges.

"Officer Doffing has enjoyed a 14-year career free of false accusations until now," Engh said.

"Now they have a complaint so they can fire

him, basically. The complaint is doing what the arbitration prevents."

Doffing faces a prison sentence of up to 19 years, $41,000 in fines or a combination of both if convicted.

According to a criminal complaint:

Doffing was on duty when he passed a group of people about 2:15 a.m. at the Coliseum Sports Bar and Grill in Hastings.

Doffing said he saw what appeared to be a fight at the bar before he pulled his squad car in front of the group.

He then radioed that an intoxicated man was running from the scene. He said Brandon Johnson, of Bay City, Wis., fell face down as he crossed U.S. 61 and was nearly run over by a vehicle.

Johnson, 23, kept running, but Doffing said he drove at 10 mph when he caught up with Johnson in a vacant lot. The Wisconsin man then turned and fell toward the front of the squad car, he said.

Another police officer who arrived at the scene said she saw a vehicle almost hitting Johnson when he fell on the highway. She said Doffing didn't have his emergency lights on at the time but turned them on after she switched on her sirens.

She also said in the statement she saw Doffing's squad car hit Johnson at a slight angle.

Johnson was taken to Regina Medical Center. His injuries were not life-threatening.

A State Patrol investigation found that Doffing was accelerating toward Johnson for about 90 feet before hitting the man.

The left front end of the squad struck Johnson, who rolled onto the hood and into the windshield, shattering it. The impact threw him forward about 19 feet, and he landed on his back, according to the investigation.

Johnson spoke to the Pioneer Press this year and said he fled the scene because he was on probation. He said the city paid a portion of his medical expenses and $11,000 as a settlement.

"After I got hit, I was out of it. I had bruises and cuts all over," said Johnson, who added his knee was fractured and still hurts. "I can't honestly say I know all that happened. I was roughed up pretty good."

Frederick Melo contributed to this article.