Woodbury Target standoff suspect charged with multiple felonies

A man alleged to have pointed a gun at police in a standoff at a Target store in Woodbury last month has been charged with multiple felonies, according to the Washington County Attorney’s Office.

Donald Eugene Roche, 61, was charged with two counts of second-degree assault, one count of financial transaction card fraud and one count of third-degree burglary, according to a Friday news release from Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson’s office.

Law enforcement officers shot Roche after he allegedly pointed a pistol-style BB gun at them in the parking lot of the Target store off Valley Creek Road.

Roche allegedly stole a wallet from an Oakdale construction site April 22, then used credit cards to make more than $3,000 in fraudulent purchases at two Woodbury stores and attempted to make more than $7,000 in purchases that did not go through.

License-plate readers tipped off Roche’s location to police. They located a van he was allegedly driving, which had been reported stolen, according to the news release.

After Roche allegedly tried to make fraudulent purchases at Target, officers attempted to arrest him. Following a struggle, Roche barricaded himself in the van and officers backed off after seeing a gun.

Multiple law enforcement agencies arrived at the scene. After more than an hour of attempted negotiations, Roche left the vehicle holding a gun, according to the news release. Law enforcement used less-than-lethal weapons and, when Roche allegedly ignored commands to drop his gun and pointed it at officers, shot him.

Roche is now in stable condition at Regions Hospital. He is expected to be apprehended upon his release from Regions.

Six officers used force in the incident, according to a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation, including two who fired guns. As is generally the case in officer-involved shootings, the BCA is investigating. The Washington County Attorney’s Office will review the BCA’s investigation and make its own finding as to whether force was justified in the case.