Photos of Troy Jacques, 41, who was shot dead by Aurora police Saturday during a traffic stop. Police said Jacques had pulled a gun on officers before they fired. Photos are from his Facebook account. 
Photos of Troy Jacques, 41, who was shot dead by Aurora police Saturday during a traffic stop. Police said Jacques had pulled a gun on officers before they fired. Photos are from his Facebook account. 
Photos of Troy Jacques, 41, who was shot dead by Aurora police Saturday during a traffic stop. Police said Jacques had pulled a gun on officers before they fired. Photos are from his Facebook account.
AURORA | An Aurora police officer was justified in shooting dead Troy Jacques during a traffic stop in February, primarily as a means of self-defense, according to a report released Tuesday by Arapahoe County investigators.
The report cleared Aurora Police Officer Chad Warner, who told prosecutors that Jacques, 41, so quickly reached for a gun during the traffic stop and appeared ready to use it, he had no choice but to fire on him — 20 times.
Aurora police declined to comment.
“I see a gun in his hand, and he’s coming up, and he’s turning it toward me,” Warner said during an investigation after the shooting, becoming emotional during the recollection. “I, I just start shooting…I don’t know if he’s going to start shooting back at me.”
Investigators said Warner and fellow Officer Mary Fernandez spotted Jacques, from Texas, driving a blue Chevy van at about 9 p.m., Feb. 10 near South Chambers Road and East Hampden Avenue. A man matching his description had been involved in a gun-related, road-rage traffic incident the day before near I-225 and East Mississippi Avenue.
At one point, Warner pulled Jacques’ van over, suspecting he was the gunman from the previous day.
Jacques immediately exited the van and walked toward the patrol car, according to a report filed by John Kellner, chief deputy district attorney for the 18th Judicial District.
Warner exited the police car, drew his gun and told Jacques to get on the ground.
Jacques refused and yelled, “Leave me the f*** alone.”
When it appeared Jacques was returning to his van, Warner tried to grab him to prevent him from fleeing.
Fernandez followed Warner, moving along the driver’s side of the van, according to the report.
Jacques got into his van, sat in the driver’s seat and reached toward the center console. Both officers said Jacques grabbed a silver-and-black pistol. Jacques pointed the gun at the officers.
Warner, afraid he and Fernandez would be shot, fired 13 rounds at Jacques.
The officers said Jacques tried to bring the gun around, and after both of them yelled several times for Jacques to show his hands, Warner fired again, this time shooting him five times.
Again officers yelled for Jacques to show his hands. When he appeared to try and raise the gun again, Warner shot him two more times.
Body camera video footage and accounts from other officers who arrived on the scene corroborated Warner’s account of the shooting, according to the report.
Warner performed CPR on Jacques until rescuers arrived. Jacques was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Warner told investigators the incident unfolded too quickly for the officers to utilize any other de-escalation tactics.
Kellner concluded the shooting was justified under the circumstances, and that Warner had not violated any procedures or laws.
“The totality of the evidence leads me to conclude Officer Warner reasonably feared for his life and the lives of his fellow officers when he saw Mr. Jacques point a pistol at him,” Kellner wrote.
At the time of the shooting, Jacques was living in his van, police said. and was suspected in multiple felony menacing and weapons cases in Texas in late December 2017, before moving to Colorado.