Ex-Minnesota Viking Carl Eller faces assault, threat charges in incident with cops after DWI stop

Minneapolis, MN

Former Vikings great Carl Eller told Minneapolis police officers, "I'm gonna kick your a— if you don't let me go," before assaulting two officers, according to criminal charges filed against him Thursday.

The Hennepin County attorney's office charged Eller, 66, with fourth-degree assault, terroristic threats, third-degree driving while impaired and refusal to submit to a chemical test.

Eller was released from the Hennepin County Jail on $50,000 bail Thursday afternoon. He could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The complaint, based on information from Minneapolis police Sgt. Steve Wagner, gave this account of Wednesday's events:

Officers Gil Antaya and Seth Porras were on patrol about 1 a.m. in the area of Eighth and Russell avenues north when they saw a Mercedes 550 speed through a stop sign. As the vehicle approached the squad car, it swerved toward it and missed it by inches.

"It appeared to officers that the driver was trying to strike the squad car," the complaint said.

The officers activated lights and sirens and followed the vehicle as it fled, at speeds up to 60 mph, police have said. The driver, later identified as Eller, pulled into a driveway in the 1000 block of Washburn Avenue North.

Officers approached the car. Eller looked at Antaya, locked the doors and continued to stare. The officers yelled for Eller to get out of the vehicle, but he opened the garage door and pulled inside, "nearly striking the officers," the complaint
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Ex-Viking great Carl Eller tased several times before arrest for DWI, assault

Minneapolis, MN

Retired Minnesota Vikings great Carl Eller was Tased several times — with no apparent effect — after an early morning chase that resulted in his arrest on suspicion of DWI, fleeing police, assault and refusing a breath test, Minneapolis police said.

At a mid-morning press briefing, Inspector Mike Martin outlined details of the incident:

Around 1 a.m., two officers on patrol saw a silver Mercedes SUV going fast on Russell Avenue North in Minneapolis. The SUV went through a stop sign and swerved toward the officers' squad car.

The officers, Gil Antaya and Seth Porras, activated their lights and sirens, but the driver, Eller, did not stop. The SUV was going more than 60 mph in a residential area. They followed him for seven or eight blocks until he pulled into a driveway of his home in the 1000 block of Washburn Avenue North.

Officers ordered him to get out of the SUV, but he refused. He pulled into the garage, with officers still ordering him to get out. Eventually, he got out and started screaming at officers to get out of his garage. He also threatened to assault and kill them.

He struck the officers several times. One of the officers used a Taser on him, but he ripped off the prongs. Officers tried to restrain him with a neck hold.

Eller, 66, was booked into the Hennepin County Jail and is being held on suspicion of fleeing police in a motor vehicle, fourth-degree assault and refusing to take a breath test on a misdemeanor DWI, according to the police report.

Assault and fleeing a police officer are felonies. Refusing to give a breath test is a gross misdemeanor.

When investigators interviewed Eller this morning, he had "selective memory of what occurred" and denied "any of the events that led up to this," Martin said. More >>

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