In pursuit of a vehicle with no license plates, Thornton law enforcement officers shot and killed Jasmine Castro and Joby Vigil.
THORNTON, Colo. (CN) – The family of a 30-year-old woman who was shot and killed by law enforcement while investigating her missing license plate unsuspecting town of Thornton and officers at the Jefferson County Courthouse.
“Jasmine Castro was shot at least thirteen times, mostly in the back, including the back of her head,” the Estate of Jasmine Castro wrote in the 12-page complaint.
Citing seizure and unreasonable use of force, the lawsuit filed Thursday names police officers Mark Faivre, Tim Fuss and Schott Schilb, who each shot Jasmine Castro, as well as the City of Thornton that employed them. Located 10 miles north of Denver, Thornton is home to approximately 150,000 people.
“What happened to Jasmine Castro was horrific,” her family’s attorney Jason Kosloski said via email. “This case is about a pattern of behavior and systemic failures that led to her death. We are demanding accountability and answers.”
On April 30, 2024, at approximately 2:37 a.m., 30-year-old Castro was riding in an Infiniti EX with Joby Vigil. The car had no license plates, attracting the attention of Thornton police.
As part of the city’s proactive “IMPACT team,” Officers Faivre, Fuss and Schilb, in unmarked vehicles and plain clothes, began following the Infiniti through Adams County, onto the highway and into Lakewood.
According to the complaint, the officers did not notify local police of the chase and did not identify themselves to Vigil and Castro.
“From the perspective of a reasonable person in the Infiniti, all they would know is that they’re being chased all over metro Denver in the middle of the night by people in cars that don’t look like police cars,” the estate said in the complaint.
After the Infiniti pulled into a gas station, officers reported gunshots were fired at them before the vehicle sped away and later crashed into a ditch.
According to the complaint, Faivre was about 10 feet away when he first fired at Castro as she climbed headfirst out of the car window.
Fuss then pistol-whipped Castro, telling her “he saw a black object” in her hand, the civil complaint states.
According to a review performed from the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Schilb then saw a gun on the ground next to Castro. He told investigators he thought she was going to use it.
Armed with an assault rifle, Schilb shot Castro several times as she lay on the ground.
Faivre shot Vigil because he believed he was armed, according to the district attorney’s office.
It remains unclear whether Vigil or Castro was driving the Infiniti, a matter disputed by the city and the family.
In a letter detailing her decision not to pursue charges, District Attorney Alexis King criticized the city’s use-of-force policy and wrote that “the officers’ perceptions of an imminent threat and the decision to shoot were not reasonable.”
Castro’s mother, Nancy, told Courthouse News that she mourns the loss of her daughter every day.
“Jasmine was my daughter. She was loved and mattered,” Nancy Castro wrote via email. “Losing Jasmine has left a hole in my life that will never be filled. I will never hear her voice or see her smile again.”
A city spokesman declined to comment.
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