On a Tuesday evening that was meant to foster community and police relations through National Night Out events, a tragedy unfolded in Commerce City, Colorado. On August 3, 2021, 65-year-old Andrewlee Ervin, a Black/African American male, became the victim of a sudden and brutal act of violence near his home on Grape Street. A confrontation with his 30-year-old neighbor, Andrew Reineke, escalated with shocking speed, resulting in Reineke shooting Ervin 11 times in the back.
The multiple gunshot wounds proved to be fatal.
The violence did not end with Ervin's death. As Commerce City police officers arrived at the scene to investigate the disturbance, Reineke, who was nearby, opened fire on them. He fired eight shots at one officer, with one bullet piercing the officer's sleeve. After his initial volley, Reineke hid and continued his assault, firing at an Adams County Sheriff's Office deputy's vehicle, striking a tire and another part of the car near where the deputy was positioned. The exchange of gunfire continued, with Reineke firing at multiple officers from behind a wooden fence before he was ultimately struck by law enforcement and apprehended.
Following his arrest, Andrew Reineke faced the judicial system for his actions. He was charged with second-degree murder for the death of Andrew Ervin and attempted second-degree murder for his attack on law enforcement officers. On September 20, 2023, Reineke pleaded guilty to these charges in an Adams County courtroom. His guilty plea led to a sentence of 50 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections, bringing a close to the legal proceedings of a case that tragically cut a life short and endangered the lives of those sworn to protect the community.
