Death by Cop 2022-2024
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Juston Michael Reffel
Gender : Male
Age : 38
Race : White
Date : 05/03/2023
Location : 165 S 2nd St
City : LaSalle
County : Weld
State : Colorado
Agency : Greeley PD
Officer(s) :Erik Hernandez
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police when warrants are discovered
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
LaSalle PD responded to a call about a “suspicious vehicle” around 5:05 p.m. near 165 South 2nd St.and made contact with Juston Michael Reffel and shot and killed him. He had some open warrants.
He drew the ire of officer Erik Hernandez for having an "unprofessional" paint job that according to the training officer looked like it was home-made. "A roller paint job on that car? With that headlight? That’s suspicious" said training officer Johnson, adding "you have every reason to start questioning somebody about that because that is against DMV!" The officers were also seen on bodycam to pick an issue with the vehicle having out of state Oklahoma plates while circling the unoccupied parked car. The officers ended up in the store, looking for the driver who saw he was being targeted and left through the back door of the store, accidentally triggering the store alarm. The excited officers are seen shouting, running through the store with guns wildly pointed around the store, exiting the store and finding the man they had been targeting in the car. Reffel is seen starting the car when he saw wildly screaming officers with guns pointed at him and he tried to leave the chaotic scene by car. As he drove away, Officer Hernandez is seen firing multiple shots into the moving vehicle. Juston Reffel died from being murdered by Officer Hernandez.
Police officially explained the death with a suspicious vehicle with out of state plates, a less than perfect paint job on the car and also the offense of being double-parked. No other accusations can be found against the deceased from LaSalle PD so far. Officer Erik Hernandez was indicted for second-degree murder on 11/7/23. The most recent article with bodycam video of the case and charges against the officer are linked below.
SOURCE LINKS :
https://kdvr.com/news/local/da-refers-deadly-lasalle-police-shooting-to-grand-jury/
