Minnesota lawmaker booked after clashes at hotel, hospital

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota state lawmaker Matt Grossell was arrested after he refused to leave a St. Paul hospital where he was taken after allegedly causing a ruckus at a hotel bar, police said Sunday.

A release from police Sgt. Mike Ernster said that officers were called to the Best Western Plus Capitol Ridge hotel about 1 a.m. Saturday after hotel security complained that an intoxicated man was acting disorderly in the bar area. Grossell, a Republican representative from Clearbrook, had been escorted to his room when officers arrived.

Police said officers checked on Grossell and they found that he could not answer basic questions and didn’t believe he could care for himself. Officers called paramedics, who decided to transport Grossell to a hospital.

After Grossell was evaluated and cleared by hospital staff, police said he was argumentative with staff and refused to leave. He was booked into the Ramsey County Jail for trespassing and released a couple of hours later on a promise to appear in court.

Grossell, a retired Clearwater County sheriff’s deputy, issued a statement Saturday apologizing “to my family, my constituents, my colleagues, and my friends.” A spokesman for Grossell said the lawmaker would have no further comment.