Colorado officer gets 16 years for fatally shooting unarmed man
Former Rocky Ford police Officer James Ashby in a photo released by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation in November 2014. (Photo: Colorado Bureau of Investigation)
A former Colorado police officer was sentenced to 16 years in prison Thursday for shooting and killing an unarmed man.
James Ashby, 33, followed Jack Jacquez into Jacquez’s mother’s Rocky Ford, Colorado home on Oct. 12, 2014. Ashby told investigators he thought Jacquez was burglarizing the home, but the Colorado Bureau of Investigation found that Ashby had no reason to think Jacquez was committing a crime. As Ashby followed Jacquez into the home, he opened fire, killing him.
Ashby said Jacquez grabbed a baseball bat and was about to swing when Ashby shot him. The coroner found that Jacquez was shot in the back, a fact that debunks Ashby’s claim.
Viola Jacquez told the Denver Post that the officer shot at her son just inches from her face. “It was one of those moments where you’re falling off a cliff,” she said.
Investigators say Ashby fired two bullets at Jacquez. One severed his spine and hit his heart.
Eight days before the shooting, Ashby violated police department policies when he tackled a suspect.
Ashby was awarded 133 days credit to his sentence for time already served. He’ll serve five years of parole following his release from prison, and has been ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
Read More On:
Latest Reviews
-
The Baby Glock Centimeter: A Review of the New G29 Gen 5 10mm Carry Pistol
Whether straying into the backcountry or just a fan of the 10mm Auto, Glock has long had one of the smallest carry guns offered in that caliber and we have been kicking around its latest variant for a couple of months.
Read More -
AMT Backup .380 Review: Fun With a Retro Pocket Pistol
I’m rather fascinated with pocket guns, so when I came across this AMT Backup 380 in Guns.com's Certified Used stockpile, I had to give it a try. It's an interesting and affordable retro pistol.
Read More -
Winchester Model 100 in .243 Win Stands the Test of Time
Every now and then I happen upon a neat little rifle I’ve never heard of, like this Winchester Model 100. Let's see if this mid-century deer hunter chambered in .243 Winchester still has what it takes.
Read More -
Palm Full of Parabellum: A Review of the 9mm Bond Arms Stubby
Texas-based Bond Arms, the country's go-to maker of double-barreled derringer-style handguns in usable calibers, recently introduced an ultra-compact new 9mm-- the aptly named Stubby.
Read More
