Police use of force justified in shooting man outside Target store in Woodbury

The Washington County prosecutor says the use of force by a deputy sheriff and a police officer was justified when they shot and wounded a man outside a Target store in Woodbury earlier this year.

This finding was announced Thursday in connection with the shooting death of 61-year-old Donald Eugene Roche of Rockford in April.

The two officers — Washington County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Krook and Woodbury Police Officer James Stoffel — shot Roche when he pointed a pellet gun at them during a standoff outside the Valley Creek Road store. Authorities said the pellet gun appeared to be a real firearm.

Police were looking for Roche in connection with a reported burglary and credit card fraud.

“Mr. Roche intentionally threatened the lives of police officers in an attempt to exploit their trained responses and compel them to use deadly force,” Washington County Prosecutor Kevin Magnuson wrote in announcing his decision. “Fortunately, the force in this case was not fatal, but the effects of a compelled response with deadly force can be very damaging to police officers and their families.”

Magnuson and his office made this decision after reviewing the results of an investigation by the Minnesota Department of Criminal Apprehension.

Roche was charged in connection with the incident and pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault in July. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September.