Woodbury officer-involved shooting headed to grand jury

The Woodbury officer-involved shooting case will be presented to a grand jury, a Ramsey County spokesman said Thursday.

The case involving the three Woodbury officers who shot a man to death Aug. 31 at Woodbury’s Red Roof Inn automatically goes to a grand jury because it involved a death, said Dennis Gerhardstein, public information officer for the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.

“That’s really the key,” he said.

Police fired on Mark E. Henderson, a hostage in an Aug. 31 incident at the Red Roof Inn, after he rushed out of a motel room where someone had pointed a gun at an officer. The officers involved in the shooting were identified as 11-year veteran Anthony Ofstead, Stacey Krech, a five-year veteran of the force and Natalie Martin, who has been with the department for two years.

The case was turned over to Ramsey County because of possible conflict-of-interest issues at the Washington County Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting a related case.

Washington County prosecutors charged 25-year-old Demetrius Santreel Ballinger with 27 counts related to the hostage situation at the motel. His case, which involves charges including second-degree attempted murder and first-degree criminal sexual conduct, is set for a Dec. 19 hearing in Stillwater.

Gerhardstein said Ramsey County prosecutors have received nearly the entire report issued by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. He said one “scientific report” is still outstanding.

After that is received, he said prosecutors there will arrange a date to convene the grand jury. The grand jury will decide whether there is enough evidence to pursue charges against the officers.

Gerhardstein said – depending on when the final report is received from the BCA – the grand jury might not be convened until early 2013.

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