On a Friday afternoon in Everett, Washington, a seemingly routine stop for coffee tragically escalated into the line-of-duty death of a police officer. Dan Rocha, a 41-year-old Hispanic male, was an officer with the Everett Police Department. On March 25, 2022, he entered a Starbucks where he was a regular, known and liked by the staff. While inside, he observed suspicious activity in the parking lot as a man moved guns between two vehicles.
Officer Rocha went outside to investigate and
engaged the man, identified as 50-year-old Richard Rotter. Body camera footage captured their initially calm eight-minute conversation. During the interaction, Rocha learned that Rotter had a warrant for his arrest and, as a convicted felon, was legally prohibited from possessing firearms. The situation quickly deteriorated when Rocha attempted to take Rotter into custody. A struggle ensued, and Rotter pulled out a handgun, shooting Officer Rocha multiple times, including three times in the head. After shooting the officer, Rotter ran over his body with his vehicle and fled the scene.
A police pursuit immediately followed the shooting, ending in a three-vehicle crash about two and a half miles away, where Richard Rotter was arrested. Rotter had a history of fleeing from police and had reportedly told acquaintances he would not go back to prison. In April 2023, a jury found Rotter guilty of aggravated first-degree murder, among other charges. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
