DA: Police use of force during January shooting justified

(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — The 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office (DA) has ruled that the use of deadly force by six law enforcement officers during an incident in Security-Widefield in January 2024 was justified.

While the suspect, Christopher Fraijo, 51, was carrying only a BB gun and not a real firearm, the weapon's resemblance to a semi-automatic rifle and Fraijo's refusal to comply with commands led law enforcement to believe he posed a threat to officers and the public, the district attorney's office said.

The incident began when Deputy Cameron Komrofske of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) saw Fraijo walking in the area of ​​Crawford Avenue and Security Boulevard around 12:38 a.m. on January 27 and acting “suspiciously.” At first, Deputy Komrofske did not make contact with Fraijo, but then the deputy saw Fraijo a second time walking on the east side of Security Boulevard, and Fraijo appeared to be trying to hide something from the deputy as he approached.

As the deputy approached, he allegedly saw “the barrel of a gun pointing above his head.” [Fraijo’s] Deputy Komrofske repeatedly asked Fraijo to drop the weapon, at which point Fraijo refused to follow the deputy's orders and stated that he would not return to jail and that he had warrants.

Deputy Komrofske saw Fraijo carrying what the deputy thought was a semi-automatic rifle, although Fraijo said it was a BB gun. Meanwhile, other EPSO deputies and Fountain Police Department (FPD) officers arrived to assist Deputy Komrofske. After providing law enforcement with a false identification, Fraijo walked toward the officers and told them to “shoot me,” according to the prosecutor’s office.

The deputies and officers responded that they did not want to shoot him, and Fraijo then allegedly raised the gun and pointed it at the officers.

At that point, EPSO Komrofske Deputies Jonathan Aggen and Tiffany Lee, along with Fountain Officers Brandon Anderson and Destin Alvarez, fired, hitting Fraijo multiple times. Fountain Corporal Eric Moore was equipped with a less-lethal shotgun and fired a pellet gun round.

Fraijo was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead, having suffered 15 gunshot wounds. The prosecutor's office said toxicology reports showed Fraijo had methamphetamine and amphetamine in his system at the time of the shooting.

It was confirmed that the weapon Fraijo was carrying was an air pistol; However, the prosecutor's office said a deadly force investigation team ruled that the use of deadly force by FPD officers and EPSO deputies was justified, given the resemblance of the weapon with a semi-automatic rifle.

Above left: The pellet gun carried by Christopher Fraijo. Above right: An example of a semi-automatic rifle.

The prosecutor's office said that in addition to the belief that Fraijo was potentially armed with 30 rounds of ammunition, capable of injuring current law enforcement and the public, the officers were justified in their use of force because no officer was close enough to use a less lethal method, such as a Taser.