Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney Ronald R. Holliday today announces that no criminal charges will be filed in the Officer-Involved Shooting of ROGER A. RICKER JR., w/m, 36 years of age. The shooting occurred on August 6, 2019, in the driveway leading to the residence of 1014 River View Drive, St. Joseph, Missouri. Three Law Enforcement Officers fired at Ricker during the incident. Officers involved included two members of the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, and one member of the St. Joseph Police Department Street Crimes Unit.
The Buchanan County Drug Strike Force Investigators involved in the shooting were Investigators Billy Paul Miller and Erica Tate. The member of the St. Joseph Police Street Crimes Unit involved was Detective Aaron King.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, Special Division of Drug and Crime Control, conducted the investigation at the request of the St. Joseph Police Department and the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department.
The officers had been trying to apprehend Ricker for several weeks. Members of the units were searching for Ricker because there were three (3) active felony warrants for his arrest from the Buchanan County Circuit Court. In addition, he was wanted for questioning in reference to a serious Hit and Run incident on July 4th, near 18th & Seneca, which resulted in serious injuries to a 6 year old child.
On August 5, a member of the Buchanan County Sheriff’s office while conducting surveillance, observed Ricker with an “AR-15” type rifle in his possession. Thereafter, the officers tasked with the apprehension of Ricker were attempting to conduct the arrest in an area in which members of the public would not be harmed if possible gunfire erupted.
On August 6, the members of the two units had tracked Ricker to the residence at 1014 Riverview Dr. The investigators had several law enforcement vehicles blocking exits and deployed “strike strips” outside of the partially open garage where a vehicle Ricker was known to drive, a red Ford Ranger pickup truck, was parked in clear view of the officers. Those measures were put in place due to history where Ricker was known to flee from officers and to carry firearms.