Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson faces a test

Hennepin County Sheriff candidate Dave Hutchinson, right.
David Hutchinson, right, approaches a house in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis while knocking on doors with volunteer Matthew Burress on Nov. 1, 2018. Hutchinson defeated incumbent Rich Stanek in the race for Hennepin County Sheriff last year.
Evan Frost | MPR News 2018 file

Last Saturday, police shot and killed Brian Quinones in Richfield after he ran a red light and led officers on a chase. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting.

The episode has emerged as a test of the new sheriff, David Hutchinson, who took office after defeating an entrenched incumbent in Rich Stanek. He surprised the state and country with his frankness about being a gay man in law enforcement and his unwillingness to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Since he was elected, he has relaxed his office’s dress code. He’s using more and newer technology, and he’s working to curb the opioid epidemic in the county.

Hutchinson has been sheriff for nine months now. Has he done everything he set out to accomplish? He answered that question with host Angela Davis.

Use the audio player above to listen to the segment.

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