70-Year-Old Minneapolis Woman Hangs Off Bridge Drinking Tequila

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With a fake gun made of duct tape and foil, a 70-year-old Minneapolis woman allegedly threatened a Minnesota State Trooper before she ran to a bridge over I-94 with a bottle of tequila.

She's been charged with threats of violence, fleeing a police officer, and two counts of DWI. The criminal complaint says she was stopped for driving erratically in St. Paul. She stopped and got out of her car, and went up to trooper and reportedly said,

Hey officer, I am trying to find my way out of here.

The trooper knew she was wanted and asked her to sit in the squad car. The complaint says she then tried to get into her own car to leave, the trooper tried to take her out of the car, and law enforcement says that's when Hansen grabbed something that looked like a gun and pointed it at the trooper. He backed up, she took off in her car.

The complaint continues, saying she was later found not far from the scene hanging on the fence of the Pascal Street Bridge, "drinking from a bottle of tequila and grabbing at the silver gun-shaped object in her waistband."

Fortunately, no one was hurt, Hansen left the bridge, and that's when law enforcement found it was not a real gun. Police allege she also had a knife and another foil and duct tape object.

The woman apparently has a history of mental health issues and had just taken multiple diazepam pills (she has a prescription) and then started drinking the tequila. I am glad to see such restraint on the part of the State Trooper. She is very likely alive today because of the trooper's response.

As always, if you have a comment, complaint, or concern about something I wrote here, please let me know: james.rabe@townsquaremedia.com

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