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WASHINGTON COUNTY — The fatal shooting of a man accused of holding hostages during an armed robbery was ruled as justified Friday.
The Washington County Attorney’s Office determined that the use of deadly force by two St. George City police officers in apprehending a bank robber was justified under Utah law, according to a letter issued by Washington County attorney Brock Belnap. Benjamin Jay Schroff, 37, was shot and killed by police after an armed robbery on Sept. 11 at the Zions Bank at 717 S. River Road.
Schroff, who was wearing a disguise, brandished a firearm during the robbery and demanded money, according to St. George police. Bank employees complied with the demand, handing over an undisclosed amount of cash. Officials said Schroff then took two female bank employees hostage and got into a vehicle that belonged to one of the women, who drove at his command.
Officers attempted to stop the vehicle and Schroff began to shoot at officers, using at least two firearms, police said. The bullets hit several police vehicles, but no officers were injured and continued the pursuit.
Officers later encountered Schroff, who had a shotgun in his hands and “was taking a shooting position toward police officers,” according to the Washington County Critical Incident Task Force, which helped with the investigation.
Officers gave verbal commands, but Schroff did not comply and two officers discharged firearms at him, “to prevent him from harming the officers or other citizens.”
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The Washington County Critical Incident Task Force released information regarding a robbery and subsequent shooting death of suspect Benjamin J. Schroff.Schroff was pronounced dead on scene.
“Sgt. Triplett and Officer Daniel said that they believed that the suspect was wearing a TAC vest, which is a type of body armor that is resistant to bullets,” Belnap said in his letter. “The TAC vest signified to the officers that the suspect was prepared for a gun fight. The officers also knew that the suspect was running with a firearm directly toward another officer and a populated subdivision where onlookers had congregated.
"In light of the information the officers possessed at the time, it was reasonable for the officers to believe that deadly force was necessary to prevent the suspect from escaping arrest.”
An autopsy indicated Schroff was hit by almost 30 rounds, including two shots to the head.
The report justifies both incidents where officers fired at Schroff, citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says "if police officers are justified in firing at a suspect in order to end a severe threat to public safety, the officers need not stop shooting until the threat has ended."
"In light of the circumstances, it was reasonable for Sgt. Triplett and officer Daniel to believe that Schroff continued to present a danger to their lives and the lives of others after the first round of shots," the report adds. "Therefore, the officers were legally justified to continue shooting until the threat was over."
Family members apologized for Schroff's actions, saying he was in "the lowest point in his life."
In 2002, Schroff pleaded guilty to a class A misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault, and a burglary charge was dismissed, according to court records. He was also charged with a handful of vehicle-related misdemeanor counts and DUI.
Contributing: Celeste Rosenlof
