A Hastings man faces new first-degree drug charges just weeks after a previous meth arrest
Published: October 31, 2025
HASTINGS, MINNESOTA—A Hastings man with a recent history of high-speed police pursuits and major drug arrests is facing another set of serious charges after officers reportedly seized over 100 grams of methamphetamine and a sawed-off shotgun during an early-morning encounter this week.
Shawn Angel Brown, 52, of Hastings, was charged Thursday, October 30, in Dakota County District Court with two counts of First-Degree Controlled Substance Crimes, one for the sale of 17 grams or more and another for possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
This marks Brown’s second first-degree drug case filed in Hastings within just over two weeks, continuing what prosecutors described as an “escalating pattern of criminal activity.”
October 28 Arrest: Meth, Firearm, and Evidence of Drug Sales
According to the most recent criminal complaint, police located a vehicle linked to Brown around 2:30 a.m. on October 28. The officer knew of Brown and knew he had an active arrest warrant. Officers tracked the car to a gas station along Vermillion Street in Hastings, where they found a female driver and later arrested Brown as he exited the store.
While securing the vehicle, officers spotted an open container of alcohol in the cupholder and a sawed-off shotgun with a barrel shorter than 26 inches protruding from a seat pocket. A subsequent vehicle search uncovered multiple baggies of methamphetamine, smoking devices, and a notebook labeled “Shawn” and “Anthon.”
In total, investigators seized approximately 106.92 grams of methamphetamine hidden behind a subwoofer and smaller quantities totaling around 4.5 grams found inside a pill bottle.
The Dakota County Attorney’s Office is seeking $100,000 bail without conditions or $80,000 with conditions, citing Brown’s ongoing criminal conduct and failure to comply with court-ordered conditions from his earlier arrest.
Earlier October 12 Arrest: 77 Grams of Meth Found After Hit-and-Run
According to court documents, just over two weeks earlier, on October 12, 2025, Brown was arrested in another Hastings incident involving a hit-and-run crash, where he was driving a vehicle with a canceled driver’s license, and another significant meth seizure.
Officers responded to the 200 block of 17th Street West around 11 p.m. for a report of a collision where a Jeep Liberty had rear-ended a parked Ford Fusion. Witnesses reported seeing a man fleeing the scene on foot, who was later identified as Brown. When officers detained Brown nearby, they discovered his driver’s license had been canceled as inimical to public safety, a designation given to individuals deemed dangerous to operate a vehicle.
A search of the area led to the discovery of a backpack and a box of items dumped near a daycare’s air conditioning unit. The bags, still dry despite the rain, contained mail and documents belonging to Brown, a digital scale, and three separate baggies of methamphetamine weighing 26.59 grams, 31.13 grams, and 19.80 grams, totaling nearly 77.5 grams.
Surveillance video confirmed Brown had run through the area moments before. Officers also located a jacket hidden in a nearby bus wheel well containing keys to the Jeep, which the registered owner confirmed had been loaned to Brown the previous day.
Brown was charged in that case with:
First-Degree Controlled Substance Crime (Possession) — 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (Felony)
Driving After Cancellation – Inimical to Public Safety (Gross Misdemeanor)
Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Crash (Misdemeanor)
He was granted conditional release on $30,000 bond after posting a non-cash bail on October 15. The court allowed for eligibility in Drug Court. Still, it required him to remain law-abiding and abstain from drugs and alcohol, conditions that prosecutors now say he violated less than two weeks later.
Previous Fleeing Conviction in January 2025 Incident
Brown’s criminal history in Dakota County extends further. Records show that earlier this year, on January 12, 2025, Hastings police arrested him following a high-speed pursuit that reached 100 miles per hour through residential areas and rural roads. According to that complaint, Brown ran multiple stop signs, drove into yards, and struck a power pole before fleeing on foot. Officers deployed stop sticks to disable his vehicle and eventually took him into custody.
Inside the car, police found 17.84 grams of methamphetamine and 1.83 grams of fentanyl, as well as brass knuckles. Prosecutors later said Brown told officers he fled because he had “lost his will to live” and was being evicted.
He pleaded guilty to felony fleeing and was sentenced on April 23, 2025, to 60 days in jail and three years of supervised probation for felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle.
Provided by the Dakota County Jail.
This information comes from a probable cause statement and court documents filed in Dakota County District Court. These are merely allegations, not proof of guilt. Brown is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Written by: Will Wight
