MINNEAPOLIS — A state senator and former broadcast meteorologist was arrested on suspicion of robbery early Monday in the northwestern Minnesota city of Detroit Lakes, police said.
Democratic State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 49, of Woodbury, was being held in the Becker County Jail on suspicion of first-degree robbery. Detroit Lakes Police Chief Steve Todd said Monday afternoon that formal charges are still pending.
Mitchell did not immediately respond to a call left on the jail’s inmate voicemail system. It was unclear whether she had an attorney who could comment on her behalf. The police chief said, “I don’t know about that.”
Mitchell was arrested while the Senate was recessing for Passover. Her arrest comes at a troubling time for Senate Democrats, who hold just a one-seat majority with four weeks left in the legislative session. Her absence will make it difficult to pass legislation that lacks bipartisan support.
Mitchell worked as a meteorologist for the U.S. Army, KSTP-TV and Minnesota Public Radio before being elected to the U.S. Senate from a suburban St. Paul district in 2022. According to her official profile, she remains a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, commanding a weather unit. According to her profile, she worked at The Weather Channel early in her career.
Todd said in an interview that he received a 911 call at 4:45 a.m. from a homeowner reporting a “burglary in progress at his home.” Todd said officers searched the home and arrested Mitchell.
The police chief said he could provide few other details because the incident is still under investigation. He said he is awaiting a response from the county attorney’s office and that a complaint detailing the allegations may not be filed until Tuesday.
Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the case.
Mitchell’s father and stepmother, who died last month, lived on the same block on the same street in Detroit Lake where Sen. Mitchell was arrested, according to public records and an obituary posted by a Detroit Lake funeral home. . Her stepmother did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Mitchell’s arrest surprised Senate leaders. “We are aware of the situation and have no comment until we have more information,” the Senate Democratic Caucus said in a statement.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks said he was shocked but knew few details.
“The public expects their MPs to meet high standards of conduct,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement. “As information comes out, we expect there to be consequences for her actions, both in the courts and in her role in Congress.”
