Golden Valley Man Charged with Felony Drunken Driving

A Golden Valley man has been charged with felony drunken driving after police say he almost hit a squad car while driving with a blood-alcohol content more than three times the legal limit.

Daniel Richard Lebre, 44, is facing two felony counts of first-degree driving while impaired, each of which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a $14,000 fine.

Lebre remains in the Hennepin County Jail on a $30,000 bond. He is also being held on an outstanding DWI warrant issued by police at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

According to the criminal complaint, compiled by Golden Valley Police Sgt. Dennis Aarons, a Golden Valley officer was conducting radar checks adjacent to Highway 55 and southbound Highway 100 just before 5 a.m. Feb. 2 when he clocked Lebre driving 69 mph in a 50 mph zone.

Lebre’s car was traveling so fast that when he took the exit ramp, he lost control, jumped the curb and headed toward a concrete median, almost striking the officer’s squad car, the complaint says.

The officer stopped Lebre and smelled alcohol coming from him, according to the complaint. His speech was slurred and he had trouble maintaining his balance, according to Aarons’ account.

The officer performed a preliminary breath test on Lebre, whose blood-alcohol concentration was .279, more than three times the legal limit of .08.

Lebre’s criminal record includes three previous DWI convictions: in 2003, 2004 and 2008. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 1 in Hennepin County District Court.