(UnitedVoice.com) – Former Minnesota state Rep. John Thompson (D) served one term in office before losing reelection. During that time, he was expelled from his party over allegations that he lied about the police racially profiling him and accusations he was a domestic abuser. His son has now been arrested.
On Monday, June 19, police booked Derrick Thompson, 27, into the Hennepin County Jail on probable cause for murder. The charges stemmed from the deaths of four women and a teenage girl after a crash the previous Friday. According to reports, law enforcement saw a car speed past them on I-35W just after 10 p.m. and started to follow the driver, who was allegedly going more than 100 mph. The state trooper reported the car veered off the highway, ran a stop light, and smashed into a vehicle that had the right of way.
The violent accident killed all five people in the vehicle. They were later identified as local Somali community members preparing for a friend’s wedding. The victims were:
- Salma Abdikadir, 20;
- Sahra Gesaade, 20;
- Siham Adam, 19;
- Segal Hersey 19, and;
- Sabiriin Ali, 17.
The driver, identified as Thompson, allegedly tried to flee the scene, but witnesses and the police located him. The police took him into custody. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told the press that officers suspected Thompson was impaired at the time of the accident.
Subsequent reports revealed Thompson caused a car accident in California and fled from the scene of that accident. He was convicted in 2021 of hit-and-run. The accident permanently disabled a woman. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for that crime, but the California Department of Corrections released him in January 2023, just three years later. After his release, he was given back his driving privileges. Just nine days before the crash, Minnesota gave him a new license.
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