Crystal (Minn.) police lieut. charged with unauthorized searches of ex-girlfriend's driving records

A Crystal police lieutenant who is a recognized expert on the use of force has been charged with using the state driver's license databases to search numerous times for information on a former girlfriend.

Derrick Hacker, 48, is accused of accessing the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) database on 60 separate occasions in 2019 and 2021, according to an investigation by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). He is charged with 12 gross misdemeanor and six misdemeanor counts including misconduct by a public officer, unauthorized penetration of a computer security system and violation of the state data practices act.

Paul Rogosheske, Hacker's attorney, said Friday that Hacker was conducting a "legitimate investigation." He said his client never contacted the alleged victim and that he is innocent of the charges.

Hacker, a member of the Crystal Police Department for 23 years, has testified in several high-profile criminal cases, including the trial of Mohamed Noor, the Minneapolis police officer who was convicted in 2019 of the fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. Hacker holds a mid-level management position and is typically assigned to criminal investigations.