Former Minnesota State Rep. John Thompson’s Facebook Post on Son’s Conviction: A Callous Deflection Amid Tragedy

By The Daily Scrum News Editorial Board

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In June 2023, five women lost their lives in a tragic, high-speed crash in Minnesota. Derrick Thompson, then 27, slammed through a red light while fleeing law enforcement, traveling at reckless speeds and under the influence. This catastrophic act shattered families and communities. Earlier this year, Derrick Thompson was convicted on all 15 charges related to that fatal crash.

When the dust settled, many Minnesotans expected a statement from Derrick’s father, former Minnesota State Representative John Thompson, that reflected the gravity of the loss, the pain of the victims’ families, and the devastating consequences of his son’s actions.

Instead, what came was a perfunctory and tone-deaf Facebook post that centered overwhelmingly on John Thompson himself—his personal grief, his political struggles, and his sense of being under attack—while barely acknowledging the lives destroyed or the five families left grieving. The statement reads less like a genuine expression of empathy and more like a calculated attempt to garner sympathy and protect a public image.

But this post is just the latest episode in a long history of troubling behavior and legal issues shadowing both John Thompson and his son. Derrick Thompson’s legal troubles are extensive: before the 2023 fatal crash, he had fled law enforcement on prior occasions while under the influence. In a previous incident, he struck a pedestrian, putting that person in a coma and earning an eight-year prison sentence in California—of which he served only a portion due to updated state laws. This pattern of recklessness and disregard for the law culminated in the deaths of five innocent women.

John Thompson’s own record is far from spotless. He was accused in 2009 of indecent exposure to a woman and two children—though no charges were filed. In 2019, he was convicted of misdemeanor obstruction after a disturbance at a hospital and later received a stayed 30-day sentence with fines. A 2021 traffic stop revealed he was driving with a suspended license and residing under conflicting claims. That same year, several police departments investigated multiple domestic assault allegations dating back to 2003. Calls for his resignation came from top state officials, including Governor Walz and House leaders, but Thompson refused to step down, denying the accusations and painting himself as a victim of political attacks.

The recent Facebook post only underscores a persistent pattern: deflection, victimhood, and self-focus instead of accountability and genuine empathy. John Thompson’s post, coming after Derrick was convicted on all charges, fails to fully acknowledge the consequences of his son’s actions. Instead of centering the tragedy and the lives lost, it turns the spotlight back on himself—as if still an elected official or aspiring to one.

One Minnesotan’s blunt reaction captures the public mood:
“His son killed five women and the meat of the post is all about him. Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4 but 5 women—and for absolutely no reason at all. The entire post is grotesque.”

This isn’t about denying a father’s grief. It’s about demanding that a former public servant confront tragedy with the honesty and empathy the moment demands. Minnesotans and the victims’ families deserve more than a self-absorbed, politically charged statement. They deserve accountability. They deserve respect. They deserve a recognition of the history of reckless choices and repeated disregard for the law that culminated in this preventable disaster.

This tragedy was not an isolated incident. It was the predictable outcome of a long pattern of dangerous behavior that went unchecked. And the response from John Thompson is a cold reminder that sometimes, those entrusted with leadership are the last to take responsibility.

Minnesota is watching. The nation is watching. And we won’t settle for anything less than the truth, accountability, and genuine compassion. It’s time to stop protecting image and start honoring the memory of five women whose lives were stolen too soon.