St. Paul officer crashed car while drunk, charges say

A St. Paul police officer was charged with drunken driving after causing a crash last week that damaged five other vehicles.

Cory J. Kochendorfer, 38, of Woodbury, was charged in Ramsey County District Court with two counts of gross misdemeanor third-degree driving while intoxicated for the Nov. 13 incident.

Kochendorfer joined St. Paul police in 2005, and is assigned to the narcotics unit. He earns $85,300 a year.

"We hold our officers to the highest personal and professional standards — both on duty and off — and I am disappointed one of our officers has put himself in a position to be charged with a crime," Chief Todd Axtell said in a written statement. "As we have always done in these situations, we will follow the case closely and take appropriate action."

Kochendorfer remains on duty, said Sgt. Mike Ernster, a police spokesman.

According to the criminal complaint: a Minnesota state trooper was called to the scene at Fairview and Hague avenues in St. Paul shortly before 7 p.m.

A black pickup truck being driven by Kochendorfer had struck a car. Both vehicles sustained "severe damage."

Four parked cars were also damaged; the complaint did not detail how.

Kochendorfer was sitting in the driver's seat. He allegedly admitted driving, and also smelled of alcohol, the charges said.

Kochendorfer failed field sobriety tests, allegedly admitted to drinking five beers and had a .24 blood alcohol content more than two hours after the crash.

The legal limit is .08.

Chao Xiong