Former LaSalle officer pleads guilty to manslaughter for killing man
Published on January 27, 2025
GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – A former LaSalle police officer who shot and killed a man at a Family Dollar store in 2023 appeared in court on Monday morning.
As part of a plea agreement, Erik Hernandez pled guilty Monday to manslaughter, a class 4 felony.
Hernandez shot and killed Juston Reffel while responding to a suspicious vehicle call at the Family Dollar store in LaSalle on May 3, 2023.
The Weld County Statutory Grand Jury indicted Hernandez on one count of second-degree murder in June of 2023.
In November of 2024, a Weld County jury couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict after deliberating for nearly two days.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 25th at 3:30 p.m. in Division 16.
As part of the plea agreement, the sentencing is open to the court in the presumptive range. The defendant could face up to six years in Community Corrections or up to six years in the Colorado Department of Corrections, followed by two years of parole.
The court also has the option of sentencing the defendant to an unlimited length of probation, with the potential of incarceration of up to two years.
Weld County Deputy District Attorneys Lacy Wells and Daniel Skelton are prosecuting this case.