Police Justified In Shooting Man Outside Woodbury Target: County

STILLWATER, MN — Two law enforcement officers were legally justified in shooting a man outside a Target store in Woodbury, the Washington County Attorney’s Office announced Friday

Woodbury Officer James Stoffel and Washington County Deputy Brian Krook will not be criminally charged in the incident.

Stoffel and Krook shot 61-year-old Donald Eugene Roche after he pointed a pellet gun at officers, according to investigators. Roche survived the shooting.

The pellet gun was designed to, and did, look like a firearm, authorities said.

The manufacturer said the pellet gun has the heft of a "Saturday Night Special" and warns that its misuse may cause serious injury or death, investigators noted.

"Mr. Roche intentionally threatened the lives of law enforcement officers to exploit their trained reactions and compel the use of deadly force," Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson said.

"Fortunately, that force was not lethal here, but the effects of being forced to react with deadly force can be very damaging to law enforcement and their families. This ‘suicide by cop’ attempt is a reminder of the swiftly evolving and unpredictably dangerous scenarios they face on a daily basis. I am grateful that there are brave people who nevertheless take these significant risks to assist and protect us."

On July 18, Roche pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault. He admitted in court that police "had every right" to shoot him based on his actions, according to prosecutors.

Roche also said he wanted the officers to shoot and kill him because he did not want to go back to prison, according to authorities.

Roche's sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 30.

April 22 incident

Roche stole a wallet from a construction site in Oakdale on the morning of April 22, police said. Roche then used the credit cards to make fraudulent purchases totaling over $3,000 at two stores in Woodbury, as well as attempted transactions of over $7,000 which were ultimately declined, according to authorities.

Woodbury officers were alerted to Roche's location by automated license plate readers, which detected that the vehicle he was driving was reported stolen, investigators said.

Officers found the stolen vehicle unoccupied in the Target parking lot just after 9:15 a.m. The steering column was damaged, police said.

When Roche returned to his vehicle after attempting fraudulent purchases inside the Target store, officers approached Roche and tried to take him into custody, according to authorities.

A struggle ensued and officers disengaged when they may have spotted a gun, investigators said. Roche retreated to his vehicle and barricaded himself inside, according to police.

Additional law enforcement, including SWAT members, arrived and negotiated with Roche for over an hour, investigators said.

Eventually, Roche exited the van with a black revolver in his hand, at which point law enforcement attempted to subdue him "with less-than-lethal and non-lethal force," according to authorities.

Roche continued to ignore repeated verbal commands to drop the gun, and instead pointed his firearm directly at officers, police said.

Police shot Roche, and he was transported to Region’s Hospital where he recovered.