KUSA - On Jan. 16, 2019 – just days after he celebrated his 41st birthday -- Adams County Deputy Jesse Jenson was shot by a law enforcement officer, according to a release from Greeley police.
He passed away two days later.
According to the Greeley Police Department, two vehicles were speeding north on Highway 85 from Platteville around 10:25 p.m. on Jan. 16.
The vehicles failed to yield to officers until they stopped near 42nd Avenue and Highway 85 in Evans. Officers confronted the driver, and a member of the City of LaSalle Police Department fired their gun, Greeley PD said.
Jenson was shot, and was then rushed to an area hospital. Two days later, surrounded by his friends and family, he was taken off life-support, according to the Greeley Police Department. The incident remains under investigation by the 19th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team.
Jenson’s funeral is Wednesday at 11 a.m. The U.S. Marine Corps sergeant and highly decorated member of the Army and Air National Guard is survived by both his parents, a sister and brother, his wife, step-daughter and two Golden Retrievers. An obituary published by Horan & McConaty outlines the man’s life.
He was a graduating member of Arapahoe High School’s 1997 class. Before graduating, he was a patrolman/lieutenant for Arapahoe Rescue Patrol from 1993 to 1997.
Just days after graduating, Jenson signed up with the U.S. Marine Corps. He rose to the level of sergeant over the four years he served before being honorably discharged in 2001, racking up a litany of commendations along the way.
After attending the Colorado Sheriff’s Training Institute from 2001 to 2002, he served in several Colorado law enforcement agencies, including the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office, the Denver Police Department, the Lafayette Police Department and finally the Adams County Sheriff’s Office beginning in 2016 as a member of the jail unit.
Before his tenure with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Jenson joined the Army National Guard in 2002 and served until 2005. From July 2008 until March 2010 he was an International Police Adviser at DynCorp International in Baghdad, Iraq, training the Iraq Police Forces. He reenlisted in the Army National Guard in 2012 where he was active until 2016. From May 2013 until June 2016, he even served as a Colorado P.O.S.T. Deputy County Coroner/Certified Medicolegal Death Investigator with the Adams County Government.
On March 8 2016, he transferred from the Army National Guard to the Air National Guard in Greeley, Colorado. He was still a technical sergeant serving up until his death. He earned several awards and commendations while with the Air National Guard.
Jenson was a marksman and competed in the Armed Forces Marksmanship Competition where he earned several medals.
The obituary says that anyone who knew Jenson knew he was a “fun-loving guy with an incredible sense of humor.” It goes on to say he enjoyed spending time with his family, his friends, his dogs and his Harley Davidson.
Anyone is welcome to sign his obituary’s guestbook at the Horan and McConaty funeral home page at this link.
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