Driver shot by trooper in Becker had history of drunken driving

Shortly after William Krawchuk, 27, moved into a house in Big Lake, Minn., he told one of his neighbors that one of the reasons he moved from the Twin Cities was to get away from substance abuse struggles.

"He had said he quit drinking," said neighbor Ron Wipper, who added that he couldn't recall ever spotting Krawchuk with a beer in the year and a half he and his girlfriend lived on the block.

"I quit everything," Krawchuk told Wipper.

So the news was startling to Wipper and other neighbors when they learned that Krawchuk was shot and killed Saturday by a state trooper after being pulled over on suspicion of drunken driving, only a mile or so from his home.

According to the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office, trooper Andrew Thelen fired his weapon as he was being dragged by Krawchuk's sport-utility vehicle, which accelerated shortly after Thelen approached it.

Thelen, who has been with the State Patrol for about three years, suffered some bumps and bruises, said patrol spokesman Lt. Mark Peterson.

Krawchuk was dead at the scene along County Road 11, just north of Hwy. 10 in Becker Township. He was alone in his vehicle.

Thelen works out of the St. Cloud office of the State Patrol and has received 11 letters of commendation, according to Peterson.

"He's a good trooper," Peterson said.

Thelen, who is on paid administrative leave, was unavailable for comment Sunday, Peterson said.

The patrol released few other details about the incident Sunday.

Court records show that Krawchuk was convicted of drunken driving at least three times, and he had several other run-ins with the law for such things as domestic assault and disorderly conduct.

Krawchuk had moved from St. Louis Park to Big Lake about a year and a half ago.

"He seemed like a decent guy," said Carolee Scherbing, another Big Lake neighbor.

She said that Krawchuk was an auto body worker and that once he had given advice to her stepson on how to get into the business.

Her husband, Mike Scherbing, said that Krawchuk and his girlfriend worked in their yard a lot. But it was fairly rare that they would have company over, and he said they never made any sort of ruckus or appeared to be having any major problems.

Krawchuk had worked for LaMettry's Collision at its Richfield location for the past three years, said co-worker Valisity LaMettry.

"The Bill that we know, you know, it's a shock to us that he would even try to take off," she said of Saturday's incident.