Minnesota Officer Charged with Manslaughter Following Fatal Crash: A Troubling History of On-Duty Accidents
A Minnesota police officer, Shane Roper, has been charged with nine counts of second-degree manslaughter and vehicular homicide following a tragic incident that resulted in the death of an 18-year-old boy. The incident, which has sparked outrage among local residents, has raised serious questions about why it took a fatal event to remove the officer from duty despite his previous track record of hazardous driving.
Catastrophic Collision and Legal Repercussions
On May 18, 2023, Minnesota State Trooper Shane Roper was involved in a high-speed chase for a minor traffic violation. Roper’s patrol car collided head-on with a vehicle carrying 18-year-old Olivia Flores, resulting in Flores’ death. At the time of the incident, Roper was driving at 83 mph without activating his emergency lights or sirens.
A History of Reckless Behavior
This is not the first incident of dangerous driving attributed to Roper. Just a year prior to the fatal crash, on April 10, 2023, Roper was involved in another accident on Highway 52 in Rochester. While pursuing a speeding vehicle, Roper lost control and crashed into a cable median after failing to activate his emergency signals. As a result, he was suspended without pay for one day.
The pattern of reckless driving extends further back. In February 2019, Roper received a written reprimand after his patrol car collided with another state vehicle, injuring the other driver and causing significant damage. In May 2021, Roper was disciplined again after running a stop sign and striking another vehicle. He claimed he didn’t see the stop sign, despite the presence of a warning sign 400 feet before the intersection. This incident also led to a one-day suspension without pay.
Further compounding his record, later in 2021, Roper received another written reprimand for striking a deer while speeding at 77 mph on a snowy road without alerting dispatch or using his emergency lights and sirens.
Outrage and Demands for Accountability
On the very day of Flores’ death, Roper was documented speeding at 135 mph without an urgent need and showing off during a "ride along." This reckless behavior and the subsequent fatal crash have led not only to criminal charges against Roper but also to a wrongful death lawsuit from Flores’ family. The lawsuit questions why such a high-risk individual was allowed to remain on the force, endangering the public time and again.
A Call to Action
This case underscores a critical issue within law enforcement: the need for stringent monitoring and accountability of officers with a known history of reckless behavior. The tragic loss of Olivia Flores has amplified calls to reconsider the practices surrounding high-speed pursuits and the overall conduct of police officers while driving.
The necessity to "End all traffic stops" has been echoed repeatedly and is increasingly gaining traction. Addressing this issue can potentially save lives and prevent further misuse of authority on the roads.
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Donald Smith, Editor of Automotive.fyi
