Lakeville Man Charged With Assaulting Officer During Traffic Stop

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 25-year-old Lakeville man is accused of assaulting an Edina police officer during a traffic stop and had been drinking prior to the incident, according to charges filed Wednesday in Hennepin County Court.

Samuel David Ronneberg was charged with third-degree assault, fourth-degree assault of a peace officer and third-degree driving while impaired in connection with the incident, which happened Sunday.

According to the charges, an Edina police officer stopped Ronneberg while on patrol Sunday in the area of Highway 169 and Londonderry Road for traffic and equipment violations. Police say Ronneberg failed to obey the Tedd Foss law, which requires drivers to move over a lane when there are emergency vehicles with their flashing lights on.

The officer, while speaking with Ronneberg, could smell alcohol coming from his car. He was taken out of the vehicle for field sobriety tests, which he failed. He was then arrested and put in the back of the officer's squad car.

The complaint states Ronneberg then told the officer he needed to vomit, and she opened the door for him. He refused to get back in the vehicle and worked one of his hands out of the handcuffs. The officer bent down to assist him, and Ronneberg grabbed her hair and hit her several times with his first or the handcuff.

The complaint states the officer was terrified and might have been knocked unconscious during the assault. The officer sustained injuries to the back of her head and ear, requiring staples and stitches, and had a black eye. Ronneberg fled the area, but was quickly located and taken into custody.

He was transported to the police station and provided a blood alcohol content of .09, above the legal limit for driving in Minnesota. He has a previous conviction for DWI in 2014.