A former LaSalle police officer who fatally shot a person exterior a Household Greenback retailer whereas on obligation was sentenced to 6 years in jail on Friday.
Erik Gustavo Hernandez, 36, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in January, courtroom information present.
Hernandez was indicted by a grand jury on one depend of second-degree homicide, however a Weld County jury couldn’t attain a verdict after his trial in November.
The shooting happened on May 3, 2023, when Hernandez and one other officer have been investigating a suspicious car parked exterior the Household Greenback at 165 S. Second St. in LaSalle. The car’s proprietor, Juston Reffel, ran out of the shop to his automobile and began to drive away, and Hernandez fired 4 pictures at Reffel, hitting him within the torso, based on courtroom information. The 38-year-old later died on the hospital.
“There’s nothing extra critical than the lack of human life,” Deputy District Legal professional Lacy Wells mentioned in a press release. “There’s one profit right here, although, and it’s that this particular person won’t ever be a police officer once more. Juston deserved higher and so did the residents of Weld County.”
An legal professional for Hernandez didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
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