A man was arrested after allegedly ramming his SUV into the Minnesota Governor’s residence in St. Paul on Sunday evening.
59-year-old Clinton L. Fouquette was arrested at gunpoint and faces two felonies — criminal property damage and making terroristic threats, writes the Star Tribune:
While the patrol has yet to say whether the damaging of the gate by the 1999 Chevy Tahoe was intentional, the nature and severity of the charges point to Foquette committing a willful act.
The patrol said Foquette is from Center City, Minn., but the vehicle’s registration and other public records show he lives 4 miles from the governor’s residence on St. Paul Avenue in St. Paul.
State Patrol spokesman Lt. Gordon Shank told reports that Fouquette “did not enter the grounds” after ramming the mansion’s front gates. Caroline Burns, a spokesperson for Gov. Mark Dayton, said the state’s top lawmaker was home during the incident.
“He was never in danger,” said Burn. “The State Patrol quickly contained the situation and apprehended the suspect. Troopers did an exceptional job de-escalating the situation to keep everyone safe.”
This is not the first time a driver has rammed a vehicle into the residence’s entryway. In September 2016, 42-year-old Wondu Seifu drove his car into the mansion’s front gates in a desperate attempt to meet with Dayton.