News
City of Chaska Announces New Police Chief
The City of Chaska has announced the hiring of Ryan Seibert as Chaska’s new Chief of Police. Seibert, currently a captain with the Robbinsdale Police Department, will begin his employment with the City of Chaska on Monday, April 13.
Seibert, who has been with the Robbinsdale Police Department for 13 years, will fill the role vacated by retired Police Chief Scott Knight. Seibert was most recently a captain with Robbinsdale Police Department. In that role over the past two years, he oversaw the investigations and support services and ran the day-to-day operations of the department. Previously, he had served in the roles of police officer, crime prevention liaison, detective, patrol sergeant, administrative sergeant, and captain.
“More than anything, I truly enjoy the unique comradery and bonds created with the people you work alongside and serve with,” Seibert said. “The officers here in Chaska have a dedication and pride in their work that shows in the culture. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to build on that culture.”
“I’m really excited to have Chief Seibert join the City of Chaska,” said Chaska City Administrator Matt Podhradsky. “He impressed us throughout the interview process, and I am looking forward to seeing him embrace our community in his new role.”
The city of Chaska held a swearing-in ceremony on Monday, April 13 at 10:00 a.m. at the Chaska Fire Station. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the public was not able to attend in person. Watch the ceremony on the Chaska Community Television YouTube channel.
Deputy Police Chief Ben Anderson had been serving as the Interim Operations Chief since September 2019.
Conclusion of the 13 October 2018 Vehicle Crash and Drowning Deaths Investigation
The investigation into the vehicle crash and resulting drowning deaths of Zeynab Abdalla, age 19, and Bushra Abdi, age 19, both residents of Shakopee (MN) has been concluded. The case is now inactive.
The Minnesota State Patrol reconstructed the crash and the vehicle’s entry into a holding pond, at MN HWY 41 and White Oak Drive, in the city of Chaska (MN). The crash occurred on Saturday 13 October 2018, at approximately 3 AM.
The reconstruction shows that the vehicle was traveling southbound on MN HWY 41 and the driver attempted to negotiate a turn onto westbound White Oak Drive. The vehicle was traveling at a speed of 44 MPH. That speed was too great to successfully make the turn at the corner. The vehicle traveled off the street and came to rest in the holding pond and sank, to the bottom, in approximately nine feet of water. Both women were found outside of the vehicle, in the pond, and were deceased.
Based upon statements provided during the investigation, and video evidence, it has been established that Zeynab Abdalla regularly drove the vehicle. It is presumed that Zeynab was driving the vehicle; however, there were no witnesses at the time of the crash so the driver cannot be positively identified/named.
No information or evidence exists that revealed that this incident was anything more than a traffic crash that resulted in the tragic deaths of two young women.
Chaska PD Enters BolaWrap Pilot Program
The Chaska Police Department has launched a one-year pilot program to test the BolaWrap 100, a non-lethal restraint tool.
The handheld device projects a Kevlar rope 640 ft per second up to 25 feet. The rope, which has small hooks on either end, wraps around a subject one to three times, giving public safety officers a non-lethal option to deescalate situations by restraining a potentially violent subject.
The Chaska Police Department is the first law enforcement agency in Minnesota to utilize the BolaWrap 100 in the field.
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