FOND DU LAC, WI (WHBL/KFIZ) - Trevor Casper, the 21-year-old State Trooper who lost his life in a shootout in Fond du Lac with a serial bank robber, was justified in his use of force.
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney announced this conclusion Thursday after his investigation into the March 24 shootout between Casper and Steven Snyder.
The shootout lasted 17 seconds. Snyder, who shot first, fired nine times and struck Casper with three bullets. Casper fired 12 total shots. Only one hit Snyder, but it was fatal having gone through his back and passing through his heart.
Toney says not many people would have the courage to do what Trooper Casper did, and called him a hero.
As for Snyder, Toney said the Michigan man was heavily armed with two handguns and over 130 rounds when the shootout occurred. He added Snyder had a manifesto in a rental car describing his willingness to die, and did text his girlfriend minutes before the shootout saying he was either going to be taken into custody or die.
Colonel Brian Rahn, the deputy superintendent of the State Patrol, says Casper will always be remembered for his bravery. He will be memorialized when his name is added to memorials in Madison and Washington D.C. that honor fallen law enforcement during the line of duty.
Casper's parents also released a statement, read by Captain Tony Burrell of the State Patrol during the news conference Thursday. They said they were extremely proud of their son and his decision to join the State Patrol.
Toney's report can be read online by clicking here.
The state’s Division of Criminal Investigation issued its own 26-page report on the shooting, which is available by clicking here.