A woman who was charged with unleashing a racist tirade toward a Black Uber driver on Hennepin Avenue in south Minneapolis last year has had her case dismissed.
Case dismissed against woman who unleashed racist tirade toward Black Uber driver on Hennepin Avenue
Judge cites doctor's findings of the defendant's "mental illness or cognitive impairment."
December 21, 2023 at 2:44PM
As the law requires, Hennepin County District Judge Julia Dayton Klein on Wednesday ordered a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct dismissed because defendant Jill Berquist is "presently incompetent to stand trial" in connection with the rant on April 1, 2022, that the driver video-recorded and posted on YouTube.
Klein's order came after she reviewed a doctor's psychological report filed with the court that concluded that Berquist, "due to mental illness or cognitive impairment, lacks the ability to rationally consult with counsel; or lacks the ability to understand the proceedings or participate in the defense."
The judge further noted that the doctor's findings were not contested by the City Attorney's Office or Berquist's attorney.
Klein's order requires the 38-year-old Minneapolis woman to cooperate with the court to determine whether she needs to be civilly committed for treatment.
The complaint's allegations were largely consistent with the video recorded by the Uber driver, 48-year-old Wesley Gakuo, of St. Paul.
"Go to Uptown!" the video captured her screaming with a vulgarity thrown in. Gakuo warned her not to call him that, and she threatened to call police.
After Gakuo got out of the car, Berquist ripped a mounted iPad tablet and threw it out the window. She then exited the car and kept up her profane and racially charged outburst. The video then shifted to Gakuo filming when both were outside his vehicle.
"I'm calling the police; they're going to beat you up," she said.
On the phone with 911 and at times screaming the same racial slur, she said, "He didn't want to take me home. … Please send the police for the Black man who punched me."
According to the complaint, the 911 dispatcher told Berquist to stop using the slur and asked her whether she wanted medical personnel sent. She declined.
Officers arrived, and she told them Gakuo struck the left side of her face, the complaint continued. However, officers saw no evidence of physical harm.
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