Former LaSalle officer sentenced to prison for killing unarmed man

Published on April 28, 2025

GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – A former LaSalle police officer was sentenced to prison for shooting and killing a man at a Family Dollar store in 2023.

On Friday, Weld County District Court Judge Marcello Kopcow sentenced Erik Hernandez to six years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

In January, as part of a plea agreement, Erik Hernandez pled guilty to manslaughter, a class 4 felony.

Hernandez shot and killed Juston Reffel while investigating a report of what a citizen thought was a “suspicious vehicle” 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.

“There’s nothing more serious than the loss of human life,” Deputy District Attorney Lacy Wells said. “There’s one benefit here, though, and it’s that this individual will never be a police officer again. Juston deserved better and so did the citizens of Weld County.”

In addition to Deputy District Attorney Lacy Wells, Deputy District Attorney Daniel Skelton also prosecuted this case.