A Hastings police officer who crashed his car into a utility pole in St. Paul and then fled on foot pleaded guilty today to leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor.
Donald James Farrington, 40, of North St. Paul, had called police after he returned home on the early morning of the incident, April 10, to say that he had been carjacked at gunpoint, according to the criminal complaint in the case.
But in accordance with a plea agreement finalized in court this morning, the charge of making a false police report was dropped.
Ramsey County District Judge Rosanne Nathanson stayed a 10-day sentence for Farrington for a period of one year. In the meantime, he must remain law-abiding and have no other violations of a misdemeanor or greater level.
Mike McMenomy, the Hastings police chief at the time of Farrington’s crash, said Farrington went into a medical treatment program after the incident. He declined to elaborate, citing privacy guidelines.
McMenomy retired in May. Farrington’s status with the department was not immediately available today, but he has an active voice mail there.
“He’s taken full responsibility for his actions and has accepted the consequences,” said Farrington’s attorney, Fred Bruno.
The criminal complaint in the case gives this version of events:
Farrington smashed his car into a telephone pole near Winthrop Street and Lower Afton Road about 4:15 a.m. April 10.
He called police when he got home and told them falsely that he had been carjacked at gunpoint, but when police arrived at his door at about 5 a.m., he admitted that wasn’t true.
A police report said that Farrington’s car had heavy front-end damage and that officers did not smell alcohol inside, according to Senior Cmdr. Gregory Pye.
Farrington’s blood alcohol level was 0.03, below the legal limit of 0.08, Pye said.
