State Trooper Terminated Following Fatal Rochester Crash, Pending Criminal Charges
The Minnesota State Patrol has terminated Trooper Shane Roper following his involvement in a fatal crash that killed a young woman in Rochester earlier this year.
The termination, which took effect Tuesday, comes as Roper faces multiple criminal charges, including second-degree manslaughter and five counts of criminal vehicular operation.
Roper, 32, was driving his squad car at 83 mph—more than twice the speed limit—without lights or sirens activated when he collided with a Ford Focus carrying 18-year-old Olivia Flores and her friends. The crash, which occurred on May 18 at the intersection of Apache Mall Drive and 12th Street SW, resulted in Flores' death. Olmsted County prosecutors say Roper was trying to catch up to another driver who had committed a traffic offense at the time of the crash.
Roper has pleaded not guilty to all charges and waived his right to an omnibus hearing during his first court appearance. His jury trial is set for March 31, 2025, with a settlement conference scheduled for Nov. 21, 2024. He had been on paid investigative leave since the crash but was officially terminated this week as the criminal proceedings continue.
Internal records from the State Patrol revealed that Roper had been involved in multiple crashes throughout his eight-year career, with minimal disciplinary action taken.
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