Probation for ex-Minnesota sheriff’s deputy who was drunk when he crashed his squad while on duty

A former Kandiyohi County sheriff’s deputy has been put on probation for being drunk when he crashed his squad vehicle while on duty.

Christopher Todd Flatten, 40, of Atwater was sentenced Tuesday in District Court after pleading guilty to fourth-degree drunken driving in connection with the wreck on July 18 east of Willmar in Gennessee Township.

Judge Amy Doll’s sentence includes two years’ supervised probation and sets aside a 90-jail term. Flatten also was ordered to pay $415 in fines and fees.

The deputy, who joined the Sheriff’s Office in late April, was put on “critical incident leave” at the time of the crash, a statement from Sheriff Eric Tollefson read. The sheriff said Wednesday that Flatten resigned on Oct. 7.

According to the criminal complaint:

Two State Patrol troopers were sent to County Road 4 near the intersection with E. 1st Avenue and saw the squad SUV in a field and a uniformed Flatten unresponsive and behind the wheel. Flatten was removed from the squad and taken by air ambulance to St. Cloud Hospital.

Soon after the crash, a trooper went to the hospital with a court order to collect a sample of Flatten’s blood to test for drug or alcohol impairment. However, Flatten refused to allow the blood draw to occur. The trooper did detect an odor of alcohol coming from Flatten and noticed that the deputy’s speech was slurred, and his eyes were bloodshot and glassy.