On a Thursday afternoon in Saint George, Utah, the life of 37-year-old Benjamin Jay Schroff, a Caucasian male, came to a violent and tragic end. On September 11, 2014, Schroff, disguised with a false beard and wig, entered a Zions Bank branch armed with both a handgun and a shotgun. Inside the bank, he brandished his weapons, demanded money from the tellers, and after receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, took two female bank employees hostage.
Forcing the two women into a car
belonging to one of them, Schroff commanded her to drive away from the scene. A witness quickly alerted the police, providing a description of the getaway vehicle. Officers soon spotted the car and attempted to initiate a stop. In response, Schroff ordered his hostage to speed up and began firing at the pursuing police cruisers with both of his firearms. Several police vehicles were struck by gunfire during the chase, which moved from Saint George into the neighboring Washington City.
The dramatic pursuit ended when Schroff exited the vehicle in a field, allowing the two hostages to escape unharmed. Now on foot and still armed, Schroff was confronted by officers from the St. George Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff's Office who had established a containment area. According to law enforcement accounts, Schroff was carrying a shotgun and assuming a shooting stance towards the officers. After he failed to comply with verbal commands to surrender, two officers discharged their firearms.
Benjamin Jay Schroff was struck by multiple gunshots and was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy later revealed he had been hit by nearly 30 rounds. Investigators also discovered that he was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and was carrying a substantial amount of additional ammunition. The Washington County Attorney's Office investigated the incident and ruled that the use of deadly force by the police officers was justified. No arrests were made as Schroff was the sole suspect and was killed during the confrontation.
