Man charged after vehicle crashes through gate at governor's mansion
Updated: 4:10 p.m. | Posted: 7:25 a.m.
A St. Paul man is facing two criminal charges after ramming his SUV through the gate of the governor's residence.
The Ramsey County Attorney's office has charged Clinton Fouquette, 59, with terroristic threats and criminal property damage, both felonies. The criminal complaint said he rammed his 1999 Chevy Tahoe into the ornamental steel gate at the entrance to the mansion on Summit Avenue.
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Troopers reported hearing a crash about 9:30 Sunday night, then finding Fouquette's vehicle and removing him at gunpoint after deciding it wasn't carrying an explosive.
Fouquette later told investigators that he needed to talk to Gov. Mark Dayton about many problems, including, according the complaint, electricity under his skin. The crash did as much as $75,000 worth of damage to the gate.
Fourquette is being held in the Ramsey County jail.
Earlier, Minnesota State Patrol spokesperson Gordon Shank said the driver did not get onto the grounds.
Shank added that nobody was injured in the incident.
Gov. Mark Dayton was in the residence at the time of the incident, but was never in danger, a spokesperson said.
A similar incident occurred in 2016, when a St. Paul man rammed his car into the front gate, saying he wanted to speak with the governor.
The Associated Press contributed to this report