Repeat DWI Offender Tells Police 'Catch Me If You Can' Before Attempting to Escape Traffic Stop

A man with several previous DWI convictions faces criminal charges after his car was stopped because his license had been canceled, and then allegedly while drunk he proceeded to tell the officer "catch me if you can" and drove away.

Allen James Hoff, 35, is charged with felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, and gross misdemeanor driving after canceled, inimical to public safety.

According to the criminal complaint, around 12:30 a.m. Aug. 3, a Lakeville police officer ran a license plate check on a car traveling north on Cedar Avenue near Upper 164th Street West, and found the driver's license was canceled; the car's driver matched the description of the license-holder, Hoff.

The officer stopped the car, which Hoff was driving, and ran the driver's license through his computer. When he returned to the car, Hoff allegedly told the officer "Catch me if you can" and drove away fast. Police found the car abandoned a short time later, the complaint says.

Just before 8 a.m., police found Hoff at his house and took him into custody, according to the complaint.

Hoff allegedly told police while he was being arrested that he was stupid for what he had done, and that he didn't want to go back to prison and had run away from police because he was drunk, the complaint says.

At the police station he gave a statement in which he allegedly admitted to knowingly fleeing police.

As of Thursday afternoon, Hoff was being held in Dakota County Jail on $80,000 bail. A hearing in Dakota County District Court is scheduled for Aug. 29.

Hoff's conviction history in Minnesota includes careless driving in 2003, inattentive driving in 2004, three DWIs in 2005, DWI in 2007 and other convictions, court records show.