Three Thornton police officers were cleared of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of two people after a chase into Lakewood last year, prosecutors revealed on Tuesday. The incident began when officers tried to stop a vehicle with a missing license plate in April 2024. The driver eventually pulled over, and one person got out of the car and fired a gun at the officers. In response, the officers opened fire, killing two individuals inside the car.
Joby Vigil, 31, was shot in the head as he tried to exit the car after a female driver had already jumped out. The other person shot and killed was Jasmine Castro. First Judicial District Attorney Alexis King stated that her office determined that criminal charges were not appropriate, as it was unlikely to secure a conviction at trial.
King mentioned in a statement that given the facts and applicable law, a reasonable jury would not find the officers guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The investigation and decision on the case took nearly a year to be finalized. For more information on this story and others, visit The Denver Gazette’s news partner 9NEWS.
