GREELEY, Colo. (KDVR) — When officers shot and killed a man near a store in LaSalle, investigators released little information about what happened. Now, the case will go before a grand jury.
Justin Michael Reffel, 38, was inside a vehicle near a Family Dollar store when someone reported him to police as suspicious, according to an initial police narrative. Whatever happened next is unclear, but responding officers eventually shot and killed the Gilcrest man.
On Friday, Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke announced the case will go before a grand jury. Citizens serve on grand juries and decide legal matters, like whether someone should face criminal charges. The proceedings are secret and closed to the public.
No further details were offered, like what led prosecutors to this decision. Details on the case were already scant.
The shooting happened just after 5 p.m. that Wednesday, near the store on Second Street. Here’s the initial narrative released that night by the Greeley Police Department:
“On 05/03/23 at approximately 5:05 pm, officers of the LaSalle Police Department were notified by a citizen of a suspicious vehicle in the area of the Family Dollar at 165 South 2nd Street in LaSalle, Colorado.Officers responded to the scene and contacted the vehicle,” reads a statement from During the incident, officers encountered an adult male subject in the vehicle. The male subject was shot by police. The subject, a 38-year-old male, was transported to a nearby medical facility where he was pronounced dead.”
Greeley Police Department
The 19th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team was to investigate the shooting. Police asked anyone with information to come forward.
Source : https://kdvr.com/news/local/da-refers-deadly-lasalle-police-shooting-to-grand-jury/
