Man Charged After Allegedly Huffing From Balloon, Fleeing Police in Vehicle
Hennepin County Jail Booking Photo
HENNEPIN COUNTY MN: A man has been charged with felony fleeing and DWI test refusal after Crystal police allege he sped away from officers while inhaling from a balloon before a pursuit ended with officers using a PIT maneuver.
Muzamil Abdulahi Ahmed is charged in Hennepin County District Court with felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and gross misdemeanor refusal to submit to chemical testing in connection with the August 23 incident.
According to the criminal complaint, officers first encountered Ahmed at approximately 12:51 p.m. while responding to a property-damage crash on Louisiana Avenue North in Crystal. Police noted that Ahmed was behaving strangely but said his behavior at that time did not establish sufficient cause to believe he was impaired. Both vehicles involved in the crash were totaled.
At approximately 2:08 p.m., police received a 911 call from a concerned citizen reporting that Ahmed was allegedly “huffing” and had left in a different vehicle, according to the complaint.
About two hours later, officers were leaving Almsted’s Fresh Market on Douglas Drive North after handling an unrelated matter when they allegedly spotted Ahmed standing next to a black Nissan in the parking lot. Police said he was holding a large balloon and appeared to be recording himself.
According to the complaint, Ahmed made a comment after noticing an officer nearby. When police told him they needed to speak with him, Ahmed allegedly inhaled from the balloon, quickly entered the Nissan and drove away despite officers yelling for him to stop.
Police allege Ahmed rapidly backed out of the parking space, accelerated through the lot with his tires squealing, drove over a curb and headed northbound on Douglas Drive North.
Officers activated their emergency lights and sirens, but Ahmed allegedly failed to stop. Police then performed a PIT maneuver that spun the Nissan, according to the complaint. Ahmed allegedly continued attempting to flee by turning the steering wheel and revving the engine before officers sideswiped the vehicle to bring the pursuit to an end.
The complaint alleges Ahmed continued inhaling from a large blue canister with a green tip while officers attempted to remove him from the vehicle. Police reported finding several bottles of nitrous oxide and balloons on the front passenger-side floorboard.
After Ahmed was arrested and taken to jail, officers reported smelling the odor of an alcoholic beverage. Police said standardized field sobriety testing showed several signs of impairment.
According to the complaint, Ahmed initially refused a preliminary breath test before eventually providing a reported reading of 0.072. He later allegedly refused to provide a fluid sample pursuant to a signed search warrant.
The felony fleeing charge carries a maximum possible sentence of three years and one day in prison and/or a $5,000 fine. The test-refusal charge is a gross misdemeanor.
Ahmed remained in custody at the time the complaint was filed.
The allegations contained in the criminal complaint are accusations. Ahmed is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.