A jury began deliberations Wednesday in the case of a former Rocky Ford police officer accused of second-degree murder in his of a man.
has been on trial for more than a week in the slaying of 27-year-old Jack Jacquez.
Ashby’s defense team wrapped up its case Tuesday afternoon, and closing arguments were made Wednesday morning. Jurors left for the day about 5:30 p.m. and will return Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. to continue deliberating.
People v Ashby: the jurors have gone home for the evening. Deliberations will resume at 8:30 am Thursday.
— Rob McCallum (@rwmccallum)
Investigators say Ashby followed Jacquez into the home of Jacquez’s mother on Oct. 12, 2014, and fatally shot him in the back. Ashby told investigators he thought Jacquez was a burglar, , but officials say the former cop had no reason to believe Jacquez was committing a crime.
a month after the shooting and fired from the Rocky Ford police force.
A prayer vigil for Jacquez was scheduled for Wednesday evening in Rocky Ford, said Jackie Jacquez-Lindenmuth, his sister.
At least four of Rocky Ford’s 10 officers have had problems in previous law-enforcement jobs or had criminal convictions that might have kept them from being hired at bigger departments or in other states, .
Rocky Ford’s former police chief told The Post that Ashby’s records from his previous law enforcement job in Walsenburg, where he had been the subject of several internal affairs investigations, were not reviewed before he was hired. Officials instead relied on verbal recommendations from his former supervisors.
Ashby, 33, has pleaded not guilty in the case. He is the first Colorado policeman in over in more than two decades to face a murder charge in an on-duty death.
