44 pounds of meth found in I-35 standoff suspect’s vehicle

A man who caused Interstate 35 to be shut down due to a standoff Sunday was reported to have been carrying 44 lbs. of methamphetamine.

The Rice County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as 41-year-old Donald Ray Sanderson, of Minneapolis.

Authorities said they searched Sanderson’s vehicle after his standoff with law enforcement and discovered it was “littered” with hypodermic needles. They also reportedly found 44 pounds of methamphetamine, almost 300 pills — most of which contained fentanyl — and equipment for packaging drugs.

Sanderson now faces two counts of first-degree drug sale, two counts of first-degree drug possession and a single count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Sanderson was arrested Sunday after being pulled over during a vehicle stop, in which he allegedly got out of his vehicle and brandished a handgun.

The incident shut down the interstate, and area residents were told to shelter in place.

During the standoff, Sanderson reportedly fired the gun multiple times, but no one was hurt.

He was eventually taken into custody after 7 p.m. when the South Metro SWAT and Minnesota State Patrol Special Response Team used non-lethal tactics to subdue him.