In the early hours of a Wednesday in Greeley, Colorado, a series of events unfolded that would end the life of 21-year-old Jacinto Trinidad Zavala. On August 13, 2014, police were dispatched to a residence in the 1300 block of Fourth Street just before 3 a.m. A 911 call, reportedly made by Zavala's cousin at Zavala's own request, informed dispatchers that Zavala was outside, intoxicated, and armed with multiple guns, including an AR-15 rifle. The caller also mentioned that Zavala was a military veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and believed he was in Afghanistan.
Upon their arrival, Greeley police officers saw Zavala pacing in front of the home. Accounts of what happened next diverge. According to the police, Zavala was holding a long gun and when they instructed him to raise his hands, he instead pointed the weapon at an officer, prompting them to open fire. Zavala was struck by eight of the fourteen rounds fired by three officers and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy would later reveal his blood alcohol level to be. 220, nearly three times the legal limit for driving.
Zavala's family vehemently disputed the official narrative. They stated that the only weapon he had was a BB gun and that he never raised it toward the officers. A family member who witnessed the incident claimed that Zavala kept the BB gun pointed at the ground as he had been trained to do in the military and that officers did not command him to drop the weapon before shooting. His family described him as a bright and honorable man who loved his country and had no criminal record. They questioned the use of excessive force and believed he was unjustly taken from them. While early reports mentioned his family's belief that he suffered from PTSD, his aunt later contested this, stating he did not have the condition. Records confirmed Zavala had served in the Wyoming Army National Guard from 2011 to 2013.
The Weld County District Attorney's Office conducted an investigation into the shooting. During conversations with a 911 dispatcher, Zavala had reportedly refused numerous requests to put his gun down and made references to the recent police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. In September 2014, the district attorney announced that no criminal charges would be filed against the officers involved. The investigation concluded that the officers were justified in using deadly force because they reasonably believed their lives were in immediate danger when Zavala pointed his rifle in their direction. In the wake of his death, community groups were formed to address police accountability in Weld County, with Zavala's family and the families of others killed in police shootings speaking out about their experiences.
