Biwabik fire chief charged with DWI in St. Louis County arrest

Biwabik residents rely on the fire chief to lead a department that answers emergencies in town and backs up neighboring crews. Now that chief, Dan Mackey, is facing two gross misdemeanor DWI charges after a Minnesota State Patrol stop in St. Louis County, the city is under pressure to explain what accountability looks like when a public-safety leader is accused of violating the same laws he helps protect.

Court documents say a trooper stopped a blue Ford Expedition near Lost Lake Road and Stecker Road early June 13 after noticing the vehicle had a revoked registration and plate impound. The complaint says the trooper saw signs of impairment including a blank stare, slurred and mumbled speech, bloodshot and watery eyes, and a moderate odor of alcohol. Mackey reportedly told the trooper he had consumed four or five drinks.

The report says Mackey later provided a breath sample of .18 at the Virginia Jail, more than twice Minnesota’s legal limit of 0.08 for driving with alcohol concentration. In a Mirandized statement, he reportedly said he had no disabilities, injuries or speech difficulties, and said he had been drinking at the country club and in town. He acknowledged feeling the effects of alcohol, but said he did not believe his driving was affected.

The City of Biwabik said it is aware of the arrest but is not commenting because the incident did not happen on city time or in a city vehicle. Even so, the stakes are local and immediate: Biwabik’s official staff directory still lists Mackey as fire chief, and the city’s Fire & Ambulance Department says it provides EMS services to Biwabik and mutual aid to the surrounding area. City administration directly supervises department heads, including Fire/EMS, which puts the focus on whether any internal review or leave decision follows the criminal case.

The arrest also lands against a recent local backdrop that makes this more than an isolated legal problem. Mackey is the second fire or EMS leader in Biwabik to face DWI charges in recent months. Ambulance Director Ashlee Larson was charged after a Jan. 24 arrest and later pleaded guilty to fourth-degree DWI, receiving a year of unsupervised probation. For a small department that is expected to respond quickly, maintain public confidence and model the rules it enforces, the leadership pattern now carries consequences that reach beyond one defendant and into the city’s emergency response system.