Community Corner

Red Roof Inn Shooting Detailed, Suspect, Deceased Identified: No. 8 Post of 2012

One of the most read posts of 2012 included the identification of a man shot and killed by police during a hostage standoff at the Red Roof Inn in Woodbury.

Oakdale Patch covered a lot of different stories, topics and events throughout 2012, but there were a few that stood out as the most read by Patch users.

We’ll be sharing the top 10 posts of the year from Oakdale Patch in days following up to the end of 2012. Share your thoughts on the stories in comments below.

The following is the No. 8 post of 2012.

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Aug. 31, 2012 - Authorities have identified the man shot and killed by Woodbury police during Friday’s hostage standoff at the Red Roof Inn.

Mark Eric Henderson, 19, of St. Paul, died at Regions Hospital as a result of multiple gunshot wounds, according to a release from the Woodbury Public Safety Department.

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He was not the man who fired the weapon, the release says.

The man suspected of firing a gun during the incident has been identified as Demetrius Santrell Ballinger, 24, of Maplewood.

When officers arrived, a man pointed a weapon at them and they backed away and called for assistance, the release says.

They heard a shot as the door to the motel room opened, and a man, later identified as Henderson, came out at them quickly, the preliminary investigation found.

Officers told Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents they believed that Henderson had a weapon, and was not complying with officer commands, at which point they fired at him, the release says. No weapon was recovered from Henderson and the BCA investigation into the officer involved shooting is ongoing.

Ballinger then refused to come out of the room, and he did not let the seven others who were inside the room leave, according to the release.

The Washington County SWAT team arrived and negotiated Ballinger’s surrender early Friday morning.

He was booked at the Washington County Jail on suspicion of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, aggravated robbery and kidnapping. Ballinger is expected to be charged early next week.

The investigation is ongoing and involves the BCA, its crime scene team, the Woodbury Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

The three Woodbury Police Department officers who fired their weapons are all on standard paid administrative leave. They are officer Anthony Ofstead, an 11-year veteran with the department; officer Stacey Krech, who’s been with the department for five years and officer Natalie Martin, who’s been with the department for two years, according to the BCA.

Further information will be available at the time of charging, the release says.

Once the investigation is complete, the BCA and the Woodbury Police Department will present their findings to the Washington County Attorney’s Office.

 

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