Robbinsdale Cop Charged With Steroids

ROBBINSDALE, Minn. - A Robbinsdale, Minnesota police officer has been charged with drug possession after steroids were found in his Maple Grove home.

Jason Koop has been a patrol officer with the Robbinsdale Police Department for 12 years, but now he is accused of breaking the law he's supposed to uphold. Last March, sheriff's deputies searched Koop's home in Maple Grove, where they found two bottles of anabolic steroids in a drawer in an upstairs bedroom.

Koop was arrested and eventually charged with possessing a controlled substance, which is a felony.

Dr. Louis Ling says steroids are a controlled substance because their potential for abuse and they're illegal if not prescribed by a doctor.

"There’s a lot of emphasis on how you look these days so people are taking it to look more buff and build up their body image," said Ling.

While many people take steroids to develop bigger and stronger muscles, Dr. Ling says they can also cause a laundry list of side effects like heart disease, lowered sex drive and aggression called "roid rage."

Investigators believe “roid rage” may have caused Trace Maxwell to go on a violent killing spree , leaving three people dead across the Twin Cities before he killed himself. For police officers who carry guns and face high stress situations every day, taking steroids could make life on the streets even more volatile.

KFAN's Mike Morris took steroids in the 1980' while he was a long snapper for the Minnesota Vikings. He is now a strength and conditioning coach for everyone from professional to high school athletes. While he doesn't believe a police officer should take illegal performance enhancing drugs, he understands why one would.