Investigation finds Woodbury officer, deputy justified in shooting suspect during standoff outside Target
WOODBURY, Minn. — Authorities were justified in shooting a man during a standoff outside a Target in Woodbury earlier this year, an investigation concluded.
The Washington County Attorney's Office sent a memorandum on Thursday to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension exonerating Woodbury officer James Stoffel and Washington County deputy Brian Krook for their actions.
Donald Eugene Roche, 61, was charged with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, financial transaction fraud and third-degree burglary for the April 22 incident. He pleaded guilty to all charges last month and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 30.
Charges say that Roche stole a wallet from a construction site in Oakdale, and went to a Home Depot, where he bought four wrenches for a total value of roughly $1,800. He then went to Target on Valley Creek Plaza where he bought an iPad, socks, a $200 Visa gift card and two Tracfone minute cards.
Officers were called to the Target around 9 a.m. and attempted to arrest him, but disengaged when they saw what looked to be a handgun, charges say. Roche then went back to his vehicle and a standoff ensued.
Eventually, Roche got out of his vehicle with the revolver. Officers gave him verbal commands to put his hands in the air. Instead, he walked to the front of his van with the gun and pointed it at several officers.
SWAT members used less lethal rounds to attempt to gain compliance from Roche, but when he pointed the revolver at officers again, Stoffel fired two rounds from his service rifle. Despite being struck, Roche remained uncompliant and took cover behind his vehicle.
Roche then walked around the vehicle and toward Krook. Despite orders to drop the gun, he moved with the revolver toward the deputy and Krook fired four rounds from his service pistol. Roche was struck once and taken to the hospital for treatment.
Investigators determined Roche had pointed a CO2-powered Crosman high-velocity SNR357 pellet gun at officers. The weapon is designed to look like a firearm.
At his plea hearing, Roche said that police "had every right" to shoot him based on his actions and he "had decided he wanted the officers to shoot and kill him because he did not want to go back to prison," the Washington County Attorney's Office says.