The son of a former Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) state representative has been arrested as a suspect in a hit and run incident on June 15, which killed five women in Minneapolis.
Derrick John Thompson, 27, has been arrested in connection with the deaths of Sabiriin Ali, 17, Sahra Gesaade, 20, Salma Abdikadir, 20, Sagal Hersi, 19, and Siham Adam, 19. The women died after Thompson allegedly ran a red light and crashed into their vehicle while going “more than 40 mph above the posted speed limit of 55 mph.” Thompson is alleged to have subsequently abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene.
WARNING: Disturbing video shows moment of impact from reckless driver speeding & running a red light before killing five people and fleeing the scene. Sources have identified the driver as Derrick John Thompson, the son of former DFL state Rep. John Thompson. pic.twitter.com/JVvNDwuaOV
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) June 18, 2023
Thompson remains hospitalized while in police custody.
If the allegations are true, this would not be the first time Thompson has been involved in a hit and run incident.
In 2018, Thompson was fleeing from police in Montecito, California when he hit a 58 year-old woman, after which Thompson again abandoned his vehicle and ran away from police. Thompson later pleaded guilty to “evading law enforcement causing injury; fleeing from the scene of a collision causing serious permanent injury; and conspiracy to possess marijuana for sale” after over 17 pounds of marijuana were found in his vehicle.
Thompson was sentenced to eight years in prison, but was released early under the stipulations of California’s Proposition 57, which allowed inmates to more easily build credit for early release. According to the Star Tribune, Thompson also had “multiple convictions for driving with a revoked or suspended license.”
Thompson’s father, former Minnesota State Representative John Thompson (DFL), has also been the subject of controversy and criminal scrutiny. After multiple scandals and run-ins with the law, Thompson was expelled from the state’s House DFL Caucus in 2021 when he rejected calls for his resignation.