By Shawn Hogendorf, Correspondent

A 38-year-old Burnsville man who allegedly fled the scene of an accident near Southcross Drive and County Road 42 in Burnsville on July 29 has been charged with assaulting a Savage police officer.

Jeremy Scott Goldberg was not only charged with fourth-degree assault of a police officer (a felony), but also second-degree DWI refusal, third-degree DWI and fourth-degree damage to property in Dakota County.

According to the criminal complaint, as Officer Gene Miller was returning to the city after making a traffic stop that led him into Burnsville, he observed several vehicles stopped in a traffic lane of County Road 42. Miller stopped to ask the drivers if they were having car trouble and learned they were following a driver who they alleged fled the scene of an accident.

The drivers pointed to a parking lot where Goldberg was walking away from a van, the complaint stated. Miller reportedly smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from Goldberg and also reported that Goldberg had unsteady balance and slurred speech.

Miller asked Goldberg to perform a field sobriety tests and he refused. According to the complaint, Goldberg told the officer, “I am drunk, sir.” Goldberg eventually performed the field sobriety tests, which he failed. Goldberg also recorded a .199 (more than two times the legal limit) on the preliminary breath test.

Goldberg allegedly became belligerent as the officer handcuffed him saying, “I am a demon from hell, I will kill you all,” court documents state. Once in the squad, Goldberg began to spit over the cage between the front and back seats at the officer hitting him in the head and shoulder and also spitting on the radio, lap top computer and windshield of the squad.

While on the way to the Burnsville Police Department, Goldberg continued to spit at and threaten Miller. When he arrived at the Burnsville Police Department, a Burnsville officer opened the rear passenger door and Goldberg forcibly kicked the door into a small water fountain located on the wall. As a result, $438 in damage was caused to the paint of the new squad car.

 Shawn Hogendorf can be reached at shogendorf@swpub.com.