On September 11, 2014, 37-year-old Benjamin Jay Schroff entered a Zions Bank branch in Saint George, Utah, disguised with a false beard and wig and armed with a handgun and a shotgun. After demanding money and receiving an undisclosed sum, he took two female employees hostage and forced them into one employee’s car.

A witness reported the getaway vehicle and officers located it. During the traffic pursuit into Washington City, Schroff ordered the hostage to speed up and fired both weapons at pursuing police cruisers, striking several patrol cars. The chase ended when Schroff exited the vehicle in a field and the two hostages escaped. Confronted by St. George Police and Washington County Sheriff’s deputies, he was armed and, according to law enforcement, assumed a shooting stance and did not comply with commands. Two officers fired and Schroff was struck by multiple rounds and pronounced dead; an autopsy reported he was hit by nearly 30 rounds. He was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and carrying additional ammunition. The Washington County Attorney’s Office later ruled the officers’ use of deadly force justified.

If anyone knew Schroff or saw the events that afternoon, please share what might help explain how this unfolded.