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Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former MN State Patrol trooper pleads not guilty in deadly Rochester crash
The Brief A former Minnesota State Patrol trooper pleaded not guilty to criminal vehicular homicide and manslaughter stemming from a deadly crash in May 2024. Shane Roper, 33, was terminated from the patrol after department leaders said his "reckless" actions caused the death of 18-year-old Oliva Flores. A jury trial is tentatively set for early March 2026, with pre-trial motions set to begin in late February. ROCHESTER, Minn. (FOX 9) - A former State Trooper charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide pleaded not guilty, setting the case up for trial next year. Shane Roper, 33, is accused of causing a crash that resulted in the death of 18-yaer-old Olivia Flores in Rochester when he was allegedly speeding in a Minnesota State Patrol cruiser without its emergency lights activated. Court records show a jury trial is tentatively set to start on March 2, 2026. READ MORE: 'Reckless' actions of former MN trooper decried by agency leaders for fatal crash Big picture view The fatal three-vehicle crash happened near Apache Mall in Rochester, Minnesota, on May 18. Investigators say a Ford Focus was westbound on 12th Street Southwest when it turned south into the mall. The Focus was then struck by a Minnesota State Patrol cruiser that was driven by Roper, which was eastbound on the same street. Flores, of Owatonna, was a passenger in the Ford Focus and was killed in the crash. A Toyota RAV4 then ended up in the ditch after the Ford Focus was pushed into it. A total of six people, including Roper, were injured in the crash. Roper's employment with the Minnesota State Patrol was terminated in September 2024, with agency leaders calling his actions "reckless." READ MORE: MN State Trooper charged in Rochester crash that killed teen no longer employed Dig deeper The personnel file Roper reveals he had faced disciplinary action for four previous crashes before the fatal wreck. The file shows Roper was involved in four crashes between February 2019 and April 2023 before the crash outside Apache Mall in May that killed Flores. Reviewing his behavior before the crash, investigators found several instances where Roper drove at high speeds in just the three hours before he crashed into the vehicle carrying Flores. Roper was suspended for a day in two of the crashes and reprimanded for the other MORE: File shows MN trooper involved in 4 crashes before deadly Rochester wreck Just before the deadly crash in Rochester, investigators said he was driving at an excessive speed on a city street – apparently trying to catch up with a driver who had committed a minor traffic offense. The Source This story uses information from public court records and past FOX 9 reporting.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
Federal lawsuit against ex-Minnesota state trooper stayed until criminal case concludes
Feb. 20—ROCHESTER — The federal civil case against former Minnesota State Patrol trooper Shane Roper will be stayed until the criminal case in Olmsted County concludes, according to court documents filed on Tuesday, Feb. 18. The stipulation order filed by the magistrate judge said the defense counsel for Roper will submit a status update letter to the court within seven days of the criminal case's resolution. Roper, 32, is currently facing nine criminal charges in Olmsted County District Court stemming from the May 2024 three-vehicle crash that killed 18-year-old Olivia Flores of Owatonna. The crash occurred around 5:45 p.m. on May 18, 2024, at the intersection of Memorial Parkway and 12th Street Southwest, near Apache Mall. According to the criminal complaint, Roper was speeding in his State Patrol squad car as he entered the intersection without his emergency lights or sirens activated. Flores was riding in the backseat of the vehicle he struck. Roper's most recent court appearance was on Feb. 12 when both parties continued arguing about what evidence will be admissible in court. The court will take the arguments under advisement on April 21 after both parties submit briefs pertaining to their arguments. Until then, it is unlikely that any court hearings for the criminal case will be scheduled. The Flores family filed a federal lawsuit against Roper in December 2024, alleging he violated their daughter's constitutional rights and wrongfully caused her death. The first two counts of the lawsuit allege Roper violated Flores' due process rights, noting that as a result of Roper's actions on May 18, Flores suffered fatal injuries. "Having created such danger, Defendant Roper failed to protect Ms. Flores from the danger he created and that she would not have faced but for Defendant Roper's criminally reckless conduct," the suit alleges. The third count of the lawsuit asserts the family's wrongful death claim. According to the lawsuit filed on Dec. 11, Flores' parents are seeking compensation for Roper's alleged violation of their daughter's 14th Amendment rights, which protects citizens from discrimination and deprivation of life, liberty or property. "Defendant Roper was excessively and recklessly speeding through a busy intersection in Rochester, Minnesota at over twice the posted speed limit in an area Roper knew to have heavy traffic," the lawsuit alleges. "Defendant Roper saw and appreciated that there were other vehicles and occupants in the area and he consciously disregarded the risk he created by his shocking driving conduct." During the investigation of the crash, the Rochester Police Department found that Roper "reached a peak speed of 83 mph with 100% full throttle engaged" five seconds before impact, according to the lawsuit. Roper was traveling around 70 mph 1.4 seconds before the collision. The lawsuit also details eight previous disciplinary actions taken against Roper during his eight years with the Minnesota State Patrol. Prior to the May 2024 fatal crash, Roper was disciplined for his involvement in four crashes . The other four disciplinary actions referenced in the lawsuit included failing to record events, careless or reckless driving, driving behavior, emergency vehicle operations and conduct violations. Roper was dismissed from Minnesota State Patrol on Sept. 3, 2024 , after the Minnesota DPS's Internal Affairs investigation found that Roper wasn't watching his speed and attempted to close the gap between himself and the vehicle he was pursuing. The investigation concluded that there was no "legitimate law enforcement reason that justified Roper's driving conduct."
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
Debate about admissible evidence continues in criminal case for ex-state trooper
Feb. 12—ROCHESTER — The former Minnesota State Patrol trooper charged in the three-vehicle crash that killed 18-year-old Olivia Flores last year appeared in court Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 12, months after his defense filed a motion to dismiss eight of the nine charges against him. Shane Elroy Roper, 32, of Hayfield, appeared in an overflowing Olmsted County courtroom for an omnibus hearing. Roper is charged with five felony counts of manslaughter, criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation. He also faces four additional gross misdemeanor counts of criminal vehicular operation, reckless driving and careless driving. The crash occurred around 5:45 p.m. on May 18, 2024, at the intersection of Memorial Parkway and 12th Street Southwest, near the Apache Mall. According to the criminal complaint, Roper was speeding in his State Patrol squad car as he entered the intersection without his emergency lights or sirens activated. Flores was riding in the backseat of the vehicle he struck. During the contested omnibus hearing, the state, represented by Michael DeBolt and Eric Woodford, entered 19 exhibits into evidence, including Roper's squad car and body camera footage from May 18. Police reports and footage of his interview with law enforcement were also entered. Roper's defense attorney, Eric Nelson, filed a motion in October that included arguments for the dismissal of charges, the admissibility of Roper's MSP disciplinary history as evidence and a change of venue. The defense asked the court to set dates for written arguments related to the October motion. District Judge Lisa Hayne requested the defense file a brief on March 14 and gave the prosecution until April 4 to respond. The court will take both parties' arguments under advisement on April 21. After the hearing, Dan McIntosh, who's representing the Flores family in a civil lawsuit against Roper, said the criminal and civil cases are are operating at the same time. "Mr. Roper needs to be held accountable for his actions that caused Olivia's death," McIntosh said in a brief statement to the press. "And the family understands that this is a long process. They're committed to doing everything it takes to see this through and get to a just conclusion." According to the criminal complaint, Roper quickly approached the intersection of Apache Drive Southwest, an area where the primary entry points to the Apache Mall are located. This area tends to have "very active traffic ... on a typical Saturday." When Roper's car was 400 feet from the intersection, the squad camera showed a green traffic signal for eastbound traffic. A larger SUV also traveling east entered the left turn lane to go onto Memorial Parkway Southwest, obstructing the view for vehicles turning onto Apache Drive Southwest, the complaint said. A Ford Focus with three passengers was in that turn lane and attempted to drive through the intersection. "Due to Roper's excessive speed (traveling 83 miles per hour and at full throttle up until 1.4 seconds before impact), when the Ford Focus started through the intersection, Roper was unable to sufficiently brake or maneuver his squad car to avoid the collision," the complaint says. Roper's squad car hit the passenger side of the Ford Focus, the vehicle Flores was in, while traveling at least 55 mph. The impact sent both cars east through the intersection to collide with a Toyota Rav4. There were two people in the Toyota. Witnesses told police that the oncoming vehicle was "flying." Witnesses did not see or hear emergency lights or a siren. According to the complaint, the Ford Focus driver sustained a liver laceration, a bruised kidney and numerous additional minor injuries. The front passenger sustained a broken pelvis, lacerated kidney and other minor injuries. The passengers of the Toyota Rav4 sustained physical pain from the collision. In the squad car, Roper had a ride-along passenger who sustained rib bruising and multiple fractures from the crash. Roper was also injured. Weeks after the incident, Roper confirmed to law enforcement that he was attempting to "close the gap" between his squad car and a vehicle suspected of being in violation of a traffic code, the Post Bulletin previously reported. Roper said it was not an active pursuit and that he was not paying attention to his speed, according to the criminal complaint. He told police he did believe his lights were activated. The complaint said Roper was also found traveling at 135 mph in a 55-mph zone on May 18 in response to a medical assistance call. "On the way to this call, he noted to his passenger that medical assistance likely would not be needed and that driving in such a manner was normal behavior for him," the complaint said.
