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Boulder deputies not charged in fatal December shooting

Road rage suspect found with bomb-making materials in Colorado

Four Boulder sheriff’s deputies and one state trooper will not face charges following the fatal shooting of a 50-year-old man on Dec. 24, according to a letter from 20th Judicial District Attorney Michael Dougherty.

Colorado State Patrol Trooper James Bockhold and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office deputies Arturo Barcenas, Justin Davis and John Finkbiner were legally justified in firing at 50-year-old Efrain Inda because they believed he was “armed with a firearm and that officers or bystanders were in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death,” Dougherty said in the Tuesday letter to the corresponding agencies. 

Colorado State Patrol Cpl. Ziadeh was traveling westbound on U.S. 36 near Superior around 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 24. He noticed a Dodge Charger pulled over on the side of the highway with its hazard lights on. Ziadeh stopped to assist.

As Ziadeh approached the vehicle, he noticed the front passenger side door was open with a bullet hole in the window. He called for backup before assisting the vehicle, according to the district attorney’s decision letter.

Bockhold arrived at the scene first, assisting Ziadeh in locating the driver — later identified as Inda. Inda allegedly ignored demands to place his hands outside of the vehicle and later got out of the car with a handgun in his hand. Both troopers demanded he put down the weapon. He eventually placed the handgun on the back trunk of the car.

The deputies arrived and attempted to communicate with Inda in Spanish. Inda allegedly yelled “shoot me” to the officers while placing his hand on the handgun, according to the letter.

Around 12 p.m., the officers shot Inda with less lethal rounds as he reached for his handgun. He “barely reacted” to the rounds and grabbed his gun, pointing it at the officers.

The officers fired lethal shots at Inda as he allegedly fired back, according to the letter. Barcenas’ battery charger in his left pant pocket was struck, but the deputy was not injured. 

Inda was pronounced dead on the scene by 12:08 p.m.

The Boulder County Investigation Team found an empty bottle of tequila bottle and a Ruger 9mm EC9S handgun with seven rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber near Inda’s body. The gun’s serial number was scratched off. The bullet hole in the car’s window was also determined to have come from inside of the vehicle.

Following investigations, the district attorney’s office determined that the officers did not commit a criminal offense during the shooting.

“On Christmas Eve, these law enforcement officers sought to help a motorist in need,” Dougherty said in a news release. “The officers told Mr. Inda that they had families, that he was not in trouble, and that they wanted to help him. Despite all their courageous efforts to deescalate the situation, Mr. Inda grabbed his gun and fired at law enforcement.”

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