Throughout 2023, Elliot Park has been a focus zone for Park Police patrols due to incidents of violent crime. On December 23, 2023, at 7:48 pm, Park Police officers were patrolling the area of Elliot Park when they attempted to stop a vehicle in connection with a federal arrest warrant. All of the vehicle’s occupants, four in total, fled from the vehicle. Park officers pursued and captured one of the suspects, Bernard Augusta Mack. During the arrest of Mack, officers recovered 1,788 pills which tested positive for fentanyl.
On December 27, 2023, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office charged Mack with Aggravated Controlled Substance Crime in the 1st Degree, a felony. The criminal complaint is available under Court File Number 27-CR-23-27580. The case number is 2023-340188.
Park Police Chief Jason Ohotto stated, “I’m a grateful for the outstanding and proactive work by our Park Police officers and investigators. This quantity of fentanyl is extraordinary for a street-level drug arrest and could have harmed or killed countless people.”