Former state trooper Shane Roper’s evidence arguments to continue through spring
(ABC 6 News) – The arguments concerning evidence in Minnesota State Patrol trooper Shane Roper’s jury trial will continue through the spring, according to court proceedings Feb. 12.
Roper was charged with manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide for a crash in May 2024 that resulted in the death of Owatonna 18-year-old, Olivia Flores.
In October, Roper’s defense attempted to block evidence about the trooper’s history of causing on-duty crashes, as well as dismiss eight of the nine criminal charges.
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According to court proceedings Wednesday, the prosecution and defense will file more written arguments to be considered throughout March and April.
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Roper’s defense did say they would deprioritize a motion to move the former trooper’s jury trial to a different county, calling it “premature.”
Court proceedings also noted movement in the federal lawsuit against Shane Roper, brought by the family of Olivia Flores in December.
According to a Feb. 10 federal filing, assistant attorney general Janine Kimble will appear as counsel for Roper.
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(ABC 6 News) — Former MSP trooper Shane Roper is set to appear in court on Wednesday afternoon, court documents state.
This comes after Roper was charged with manslaughter and criminal vehicular homicide for a crash in May 2024 that resulted in the death of Owatonna 18-year-old, Olivia Flores.
Roper reportedly reached speeds of 135 miles per hour while trying to initiate the traffic stop after seeing a violation including speeding, rapid lane changes and aggressive driving and failure to wear a seatbelt. He was traveling at 50 miles per hour at the time of the crash, according to court documents.
Related: Internal investigation into state trooper Shane Roper alleges high speeds, careless driving
Roper’s personnel file also detailed a number of previous crashes while on duty from 2019-2023.
Related: Details of Trooper Roper’s on-duty crashes revealed in personnel file
Court documents filed on Tuesday state that the prosecution may offer evidence of additional incidents prior to the fatal crash involving Flores, including:
- Prior driving conduct disciplined by the Minnesota State Patrol
o 2/16/2019 – Shane Roper found at fault for two-squad vehicle crash.
o 5/22/2021 – Shane Roper found at fault for running a stop sign and colliding
with a citizen vehicle.
o 12/29/2021 – Shane Roper found at fault for colliding with a deer while
travelling 77mph in a 55mph area.
o 4/10/2023 – Shane Roper found at fault for losing control of his vehicle due
to excessive speed. - Prior driving conduct on May 18, 2024
o 8 traffic stops conducted by Shane Roper between the hours of 3:13 p.m. and
5:24 p.m. displaying excessive speed, lack of use of emergency lights or
sirens, and disregard for safety of other motorists.
Roper’s hearing is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Wednesday.