I-35 standoff: Deputies found 44 pounds of meth in vehicle, charges say

Traffic camera video shows start of I-35 standoff

Traffic cameras show a confrontation between police and a man holding what appears to be a gun along I-35 near Faribault, Minnesota.

FARIBAULT, Minn. (FOX 9) - Deputies say they found 44 pounds of suspected methamphetamine inside a vehicle involved in the standoff along I-35 in Faribault over the weekend.

The driver, Donald Sanderson, 41, of Minneapolis, is now charged with first-degree drug sale, first-degree possession of drugs, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

How did the standoff start?

Around 3 p.m. on Sunday, traffic cameras showed a sedan with a flat tire stopping in the right lane of I-35 northbound on the south side of Faribault. The driver, apparently being trailed by police, hops out of the vehicle, just as two unmarked squads pull up.

The video shows the man pointing something in his hand at law enforcement officers, as he backs away on the highway. At that point, the officers take cover behind their vehicles and draw their service weapons.

The incident sparked an hours-long standoff on the highway, with traffic being shut down in both directions until around 8 p.m. on Sunday.

What happened before the standoff?

In the criminal complaint against Sanderson, authorities say they were tipped off that Sanderson was returning to Minnesota from California.

The charges state that Sanderson has been under investigation for drug crime and authorities suspected the trip to California was related to drugs.

Deputies say they tried to stop Sanderson's vehicle on I-35 in Steele County, ultimately using stop sticks, but say Sanderson kept on driving north into Rice County.

A passenger, a 29-year-old woman, was able to get out of the vehicle at one point. She told investigators that Sanderson was carrying a gun. Deputies say Sanderson is a convicted felon and wasn't allowed to have a firearm.

The suspect fired multiple shots

Due to "debilitating damage" to the sedan, the charges state Sanderson was forced to stop when he reached Faribault.

Deputies say Sanderson got out of the car with a gun in his hand.

Authorities ordered Sanderson to drop the weapon but said he refused and fired a shot into the ground near his feet.

As the standoff dragged on, Sanderson attempted to shoot at a drone out of the air around 6:52 p.m. and then, minutes later, attempted to shoot himself under the chin. But the complaint says Sanderson "lost the firearm" and instead ran into an open farm field.

A K-9 dog was deployed and Sanderson was ultimately arrested.

What was inside the vehicle?

Inside Sanderson's sedan, deputies say they found 44 pounds of meth along with other drugs including:

43 white oval pills identified as Alprazolam plus 7 rectangle white pills also labeled as Alprazolam
222 counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl
A digital scale
Multiple cell phones
Cash App cards
$293 in currency