GREELEY, Colo. — A Weld County grand jury found that a now former Greeley officer was justified when he fatally shot a man in November.
On Nov. 8, 2022, Benjamin Jackman Weise, 33, was shot during an hourslong standoff at a home in the Meadow Village Mobile Home Park on East 20th Street.
The grand jury returned a "No True Bill" on March 10, which indicated that they did not find probable cause that the officer committed a crime when he shot Weise.
Greeley officers went to his home around 11 a.m. to arrest Weise on his warrants, according to the 19th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT). According to the grand jury report, Weise's father called 911 and reported his son's warrants and said he wanted him removed and arrested.
Weise's dad also reported that his son told him if the cops showed, he would "do something" to make them shoot him.
Weise retrieved a knife and barricaded himself inside a shed at the home, according to CIRT. After more than three hours of negotiations with Weise and the use of less lethal munitions, "the suspect attempted to exit the trailer towards multiple officers armed with the weapon," investigators said.
According to the grand jury report, Weise was crawling out of an opening under a trailer in a shed with a knife in his hand when he was shot by the officer seven times. He died on the scene, investigators said. No one else was injured.
An officer testified before the grand jury that he was worried that Weise was going to stab them due to the "confines of the shed" and the location of the officers outside. The grand jury report indicates the officers were 4 to 6 feet from Weise when he exited.
Another officer said the shed was "very cluttered" and that Weise could have accessed other potential weapons.
Typically, the district attorney will decide whether the officer's actions were legally justified. In this case, the DA's Office announced that the case would be referred to a grand jury that ultimately decided the officer should not be charged.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Investigations & Crime
9NEWS+
9NEWS+ has multiple live daily shows including 9NEWS Mornings, Next with Kyle Clark and 9NEWS+ Daily, an original streaming program. 9NEWS+ is where you can watch live breaking news, weather updates, and press conferences. You can also replay recent newscasts and find videos on demand of our top stories, local politics, investigations and Colorado specific features.
To download 9NEWS+ on Roku search for KUSA.
To download 9NEWS+ on Fire TV search for 9NEWS.