MSP Trooper Shane Roper charged in Apache Mall crash that killed Owatonna teenager Olivia Flores

OLMSTED COUNTY, MIN. (KTTC) – On Tuesday, the Olmsted County District Attorney’s Office (OCAO) announced criminal charges have been filed against Minnesota State Patrol Trooper Shane Roper for his actions that led to a fatal crash near Apache Mall. Owatonna teenager, Olivia Flores.

Roper is charged with second-degree murder and criminal homicide related to Flores, as well as five counts of criminal operation of a motor vehicle, one count of reckless driving and one count of reckless driving related to the other victims.

According to OCAO, Roper was driving traffic on the exit ramp at 6th St.

Roper later appeared on 12th St. on SW, where he turned off his emergency lights and sirens while still traveling at 83 mph as he approached the entrance to Apache Mall.

The criminal complaint states that according to video taken from the squad car, Roper’s vision was partially obscured by the pull of the road and other vehicles at the intersection.

As Roper quickly approached the intersection, a Ford Focus entered the intersection. Roper’s squad car rammed the Ford, and the momentum sent both cars into a Toyota Rav4.

In a statement provided by Roper, he said he was “trying to close the gap” between his squad car and a vehicle suspected of violating traffic laws. However, Roper stated that it was not an active pursuit and that he was “not paying attention to his speed”.

Roper also stated that he believed his lights were still active and that he was trying to “clear” the intersection before entering it. He admitted that he patrols the area heavily and is familiar with the roads in this part of Rochester.

Investigations later revealed that at least four times earlier on May 18, Roper had been driving at high speeds without his emergency lights on, at one point reaching speeds of 135 mph. At other times, he reached speeds of more than 99 mph. In each of these cases, Roper did not turn them on or, in some cases, did not turn them off while maintaining extreme speeds.

According to the OCAO, Minnesota State Patrol policy is that personnel have a “duty to protect the lives of all persons while enforcing the law to the extent possible.” OCAO says Trooper Roper violated that policy by being grossly negligent in trying to catch a petty traffic violator on a constantly busy road.

Mark Ostrem, an attorney who worked on the case with OCAO, said, “Trooper Roper dereliction of duty in such an egregious manner resulted in the death of a young lady who was celebrating her high school graduation. Several other people were seriously injured. Roper’s conduct violated the State Patrol’s core values. “Like any other person who drives recklessly and without regard to the basic rules of the road, Mr. Roper’s behavior is unacceptable.”

A court date for Roper has not yet been announced.

State Patrol Colonel Kristina Bogoevich issued the following statement regarding the situation:

Find similar stories and more in our apps.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *