Woodbury Target standoff: Rockford man faces multiple felony charges
Woodbury PD give update on Target standoff [RAW]
A man armed with a gun was shot by law enforcement officers during a standoff outside a Target store in Woodbury on Monday morning, officers reported. Woodbury Police Department provided an update on Monday afternoon. Here's the full press conference.
WOODBURY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man from Rockford, Minnesota, is facing multiple felony charges stemming from a standoff with police in a Woodbury Target parking lot in April.
Donald Eugene Roche, 61, is charged with two counts of second-degree assault, one count of financial transaction card fraud and one count of third-degree burglary for his role in a shooting on April 22 that left him in the hospital.
According to the charges, an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) found that Roche allegedly stole a wallet from a construction site in Oakdale on the morning of April 22, which he then used to make fraudulent purchases of more than $3,000 at two stores in Woodbury. He also attempted additional transactions of more than $7,000 that were declined.
Law enforcement says the incident began when Woodbury Police Department license plate readers alerted officers that both a vehicle, and the person associated with it were wanted in connection to a felony-level crime.
A photo from police shows an armed Roche in the Woodbury Target parking lot. (Woodbury Police Department / Supplied)
Police then found the vehicle unoccupied in the Target store parking lot.
As Roche returned to the vehicle after attempting fraudulent purchases at the Target, officers tried to arrest him when he resisted, police said.
According to police, Roche showed what appeared to be a handgun, prompting them to back away and call for assistance from the Washington County SWAT team.
As Roche sat in the vehicle with the doors locked, authorities reportedly tried to negotiate with him while using less-than-lethal force weapons such as 40-millimeter projectiles and PepperBall rounds.
Authorities say Roche then stepped out of his vehicle and pointed the BB gun at officers, who opened fire, striking Roche.
No other injuries have been reported from the incident.
Further investigation by the BCA determined the weapon used by Roche was a pistol-style BB gun.
On April 26, the BCA identified the officers involved in the standoff and shooting.