South St. Paul man given time served for fleeing police near Pine Island with children in his vehicle

RED WING — A 28-year-old South St. Paul man was sentenced in Goodhue County District Court to 365 days in jail for fleeing police with two juveniles in his vehicle following a 2021 traffic stop near Pine Island.

Deandre Amaud Harrington appeared before District Judge Michael Wentzell Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, where he pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor charge of endangering a child in a situation that could cause harm or death as part of a plea deal that dismissed several other charges related to the incident, including felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle. Wentzell sentenced him in accordance with the plea deal.

Harrington is currently in custody in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud for convictions in 2017 and 2021 involving theft and fleeing police in Hennepin County. He has been incarcerated for around eight months and his new sentence will run concurrent with his prior convictions, meaning he will likely receive enough time served credit to not serve any additional time.

According to the court documents:

Harrington was pulled over in black Dodge Durango by a Minnesota State Trooper on Nov. 20, 2021, on U.S. Highway 52 north of Pine Island after the trooper clocked him traveling 97 miles per hour in 65 miles per hour zone.

Harrington gave the trooper the name of another man when asked for his driver's license, which Harrington said he did not have.

The trooper observed two small juveniles in the back seat of the vehicle.

After running the name given to him by Harrington, he discovered that Harrington had used this name during a previous interaction with the state patrol. He confirmed that he was, in fact, talking to Harrington and not the other man. Harrington also had an active Minnesota Department of Corrections warrant.

Law enforcement placed a spike strip under the rear tires of the vehicle but when Harrington was told to shut the vehicle off, he fled. A deputy with the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office told the trooper that the spike strip had punctured a tire, though Harrington denied this during his sentencing hearing.

Police did not pursue Harrington due to children being in the vehicle and the fact that he had been identified.

Harrington's driver's license was revoked at the time of the incident.