A recap of things to know about the Richard Rotter trial

As Richard Rotter goes on trial for aggravated first-degree murder in the death of Everett police officer Dan Rocha, here’s a look back at the shooting and what has happened since.

The shooting

On that day, March 25, 2022, Rocha was waiting for his coffee in a Starbucks near Everett Community College when he noticed suspicious activity in the establishment’s parking lot.

A man, later identified by police as Richard Rotter, was moving guns between two vehicles, police said. Rocha then exited the coffee shop, called for backup, radioed in the vehicle’s license plate and approached Rotter.

Rocha’s body camera footage of the altercation was released June 2022.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Rocha said on the a footage. “Do me a favor, bud. Leave the guns alone.”

In the video, Rocha asked Rotter where the guns were coming from and for Rotter’s ID. Rotter shrugged and Rocha then patted down his lower body. Police later found Rotter was wearing an empty shoulder holster.

After checking Rotter’s ID, dispatchers found Rotter had a warrant for domestic violence assault. In the body camera footage, Rotter claimed this was a mistake, as claims were dismissed.

Dispatchers then verified that Rotter was a convicted felon. Washington state and federal law prohibits felons from possessing firearms, but Rotter claimed his gun was a BB gun.

The men talked for a few more minutes and Rocha asked Rotter to “hang tight until my partner gets here.”

Rotter in the video turned toward his car. Rocha asked him not to do that and when Rotter continued, Rocha detained Rotter. The last three seconds of the video showed Rocha throwing Rotter to the ground.

Four seconds later, Rotter shot Rocha five times, got in his car, backed over Rocha and fled, police said. Rocha died at the scene and his body camera ran for hours after the incident.

The arrest

Within minutes of the shooting, Rotter was arrested near the scene of a three-vehicle crash. Everett District Court Judge Tam Bui later set bail at $5 million.

Rotter was formally charged with aggravated first-degree murder in the death of Rocha on April 15, 2022. The Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office also charged Rotter with unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture or deliver.

Court records showed Rotter’s extensive criminal history in the state — including 12 prior felony convictions — from the 1980s to 2019, mostly in Benton and Franklin counties. Many of those cases were related to drugs. His only felony conviction in Snohomish County was for a controlled substance violation in 1992.

He was also found guilty of attempting to elude police three times in the past decade: in 2013, 2016 and 2019. The 2019 incident was Rotter’s most recent conviction.

In the 2013 and 2019 cases, Rotter drove into patrol cars as he escaped. No injuries were reported in those incidents. Department of Corrections records indicated he was released from prison in late 2019, the charges said.

The Everett police report noted Rotter’s license was suspended or revoked. He was no longer under state supervision at the time of the shooting. His last known address was in Kennewick.

Weeks before the shooting, Rotter told at least two people that he never wanted to go back to prison, according to charging papers.

“They’re not gonna take me alive,” he reportedly told a longtime friend four weeks before the shooting.

The community mourns

Tributes poured in for Rocha following his death. Outside the police north precinct March 26, 2022 in downtown Everett, hundreds stopped by to pay their respects to the fallen officer. A sea of bouquets, ribbons and stickers covered a patrol car.

People left dozens of notes in cards set up on a table:

“Thank you for your service, Daniel. We’ll hold it from here.”

“On behalf of the northwest neighborhood, thank you for your service. A very sad time.”

“R.I.P. and godspeed.”

Rocha, 41, a father of two sons, joined the Everett Police Department as a parking enforcement officer in 2017. He was later promoted to patrol officer. He worked in north Everett.

A public memorial service honored Rocha on April 4, 2022. Thousands turned out to show their respect.

People lined the streets to watch a police motorcade from Everett Mall Way to the arena around 11 a.m.

In the crowd near the arena was Bill Root. He served in the Army as part of Operation Desert Storm. The Woodinville man stood along Hewitt Avenue in his Army fatigues. And as the hearse carrying Rocha’s body passed, just before noon, Root saluted. He said the news of Rocha’s death horrified him.

“There’s nothing more noble than laying down your life for your fellow man,” Root said.

An American flag was draped between two Everett Fire Department ladder trucks at the intersection of Hewitt and Rockefeller avenues.

As pallbearers carried Rocha’s casket into the arena, dozens of local law enforcement saluted, like Root. Many members of Rocha’s family followed.

The 1 p.m. service was open to the public. Police from departments around the country — including New York City; Fort Worth, Texas; and others — joined the audience. Many in attendance came from neighboring cities, like Arlington Fire Chief Dave Kraski.

“This gentleman was responding to what seemed like an ordinary call,” Kraski said. “You just never know what’s going to happen.”

Bodycam footage released

The Herald obtained the footage from Rocha’s body-worn camera via a public records request June 2022.

The footage starts inside a Starbucks near Everett Community College. It cuts off four seconds before the fatal shots, according to police.

Citing state public records law and privacy concerns for Rocha’s family, Everett police declined to release footage of the shooting itself, as well as over five hours of other body camera video recorded that day.

Request to move trial

In January 2023, Rotter’s attorney Daniel Snyder filed a motion to move the upcoming trial out of Snohomish County. Snyder wrote in court documents: “Mr. Rotter cannot receive a fair and impartial jury in this county given the inflammatory pretrial publicity this case has received.”

Snyder cited the downtown Everett memorial service attended by thousands shortly after the officer’s death — just down the street from the courthouse. In February 2023, Judge Bruce Weiss denied the defense motion without prejudice, meaning the issue could come up again.

“I’ve been shocked over the years how few people are aware of what’s going on related to court cases,” the judge said. “I don’t know if that’s going to be the case for this particular case.”

Jury selection begins

Jury selection began March 14, 2023, almost a year after Rocha’s death.