Adam Michael Fresquez, a 33-year-old male, died following a violent encounter on May 3, 2023, that began as a road rage incident and concluded at a Tesla supercharging station in Edgewater, Colorado. Fresquez and another man, Jeremy Alan Smith, 40, were both driving Tesla vehicles and had been involved in an altercation on the road before they both pulled into the charging station at the Edgewater Public Market.
The confrontation escalated in the parking lot.
Witnesses reported seeing Fresquez approach Smith's vehicle and bang on the windows. Smith, who was an Uber driver, claimed that Fresquez had threatened him with a gun. During the encounter, Smith used mace on Fresquez before shooting him twice in the back. After the shooting, Smith drove away from the scene and called 911 to report the incident, claiming he acted in self-defense. Fresquez was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. An autopsy later revealed the presence of cocaine and fentanyl in Fresquez's system. It was also determined that Fresquez was armed at the time of the incident, with a firearm found in his waistband and another in his vehicle.
Seven months after the shooting, in December 2023, Jeremy Alan Smith was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. The case went to trial in January 2025. During the trial, the prosecution argued that Smith's use of deadly force was not justified as Fresquez was retreating after being maced. The defense maintained that Smith acted in self-defense, fearing for his life after Fresquez allegedly brandished a firearm.
After a week-long trial, the jury deliberated for less than a day before finding Jeremy Alan Smith not guilty of all charges on February 5, 2025. The verdict was met with disappointment by Fresquez's family and advocacy groups like the Denver Justice Project, who raised concerns about racial bias in the application of self-defense laws, pointing out that a white defendant was acquitted in the shooting of a person of color. The initial investigation by the Edgewater Police Department also drew criticism from the Fresquez family, who stated they were initially misinformed that Adam had been shot in the front, portraying him as the aggressor. They contended that had the roles been reversed, Fresquez would have faced immediate arrest and more severe charges.
