Crime & Safety

Off-Duty Policeman, Accused of DWI, Flees Through Rosemount

The South St. Paul cop fled through Rosemount, toppling mailboxes, running a truck off the road and crashing into a gas pump, before a Rosemount police officer rammed his SUV and brought him to a stop.

An off-duty South St. Paul police sergeant knocked over mailboxes with his SUV, ran a truck off the road and tried to flee from a Rosemount police officer before being jailed on suspicion of drunk driving.

Cory Slifko, a 13-year veteran of the South St. Paul police force, was given field sobriety tests before being taken into jail. Rosemount Police Chief Eric Werner told the Star Tribune that his blood alcohol content would likely be disclosed in the criminal complaint.

Rosemount police received a 911 call around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday about "erratic driving" on northbound Hwy. 3 near 190th Street, according to the Star Tribune.

Slifko was spotted by police driving into a Kwik Trip gas station on Hwy. 3 near 150th Street. As he fled the parking lot, he collided with a trailer and a gas pump, Werner told the Star Tribune.

The Rosemount officer then rammed Slifko's SUV, using the PIT maneuver, after which he cooperated.

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Chief William Messerich, Slifko's boss, told the Star Tribune that he did not have his department-issued firearm with him at the time of his arrest.

“We hold our officers to high standards, both on and off duty, and the incident that took place on Tuesday morning in Rosemount is very concerning to us all,” Messerich said.

Find out what's happening in Apple Valley-Rosemountwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Slifko, who was promoted to sergeant in January, is on administrative leave during the investigation.


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