JeffCo DA to take Aurora police shooting case to a grand jury

Aurora police Officer Paul Jerothe, who was honored for his heroics during the theater shooting three years ago, will face a grand jury after he shot and killed an unarmed man in March. Jefferson County District Attorney Peter Weir announced Tuesday that he will take the rare step of presenting an officer shooting case to a grand jury.

On March 6, Jerothe shot 37-year-old Naeschylus Carter Vinzant, a career criminal who had absconded from his state parole on March 2. A grand jury could decide to file murder charges, exonerate Jerothe or decide on other charges in between.

Weir said the investigation, which has taken more than three months, has been extensive with “many, many witnesses,” and those interviews had generated facts and physical evidence. He said a grand jury, comprising Arapahoe County residents, would be thorough, impartial and independent.

“It’s important to me we do whatever we can to enhance confidence in the justice system,” Weir said.

Click here to read this article in its entirety at The Denver Post.