Trial of former Rocky Ford officer accused of murder moved to January

A trial for a former Rocky Ford police officer who is accused of murder has been rescheduled.

In February, James Ashby pleaded not guilty to second degree murder in the on-duty shooting death of Jack Jacquez in October.

A jury trial that was scheduled for July 27, 2015 has been moved to January 11, 2016.

Motions hearings having been scheduled for October.

Ashby, 32, was fired after his arrest.

The shooting shocked the community on Colorado’s southeastern plains, where many wave at passing police cars and where suspects are often neighbors. The district attorney filed charges after an investigation by law enforcement from the surrounding county and the state.

Jack Jacquez Sr. said this court case isn’t only hurting him.

“It’s just tragic on both families. It’s tragic on the Jacquez family and it’s tragic on the Ashby family. It goes down the line. It just doesn’t stop with the Jacquez’s and the Ashby’s, it hurts a lot of people,” he said.

Jacquez also said he isn’t going to stop fighting until his son gets justice.

Ashby stopped Jacquez, 27, near his home early one morning and followed him inside, telling investigators he thought Jacquez might be a burglar and that he was armed with a bat. His account was contradicted by a man doing a police ride-a-long with him and forensic evidence showing that Jacquez was shot in the back while moving away from the officer.