Parker Police Shooting of Gas Station Clerk Deemed Justified, No Charges Filed

The six Parker police officers who fired a combined 31 rounds in roughly four seconds at the T Square gas station on East Main Street, fatally shooting clerk Pierre James Dyer, will not face criminal charges. District Attorney George Brauchler of the 23rd Judicial District released his findings March 19, concluding their use of deadly force was legally justified.

"The officers were justified in using deadly physical force against Mr. Dyer to defend themselves and others from the unlawful use of deadly physical force against them," Brauchler wrote in the report. "The officers did not commit any crimes, and criminal charges will not be filed against them."

The ruling closes the criminal question but leaves the administrative process unresolved for the six officers named in the report: Sgt. Dave Rosselot, Sgt. Joshua Cunningham, Officer Traeger Davison, Officer Jeff Cordova, Officer Chad Barker, and Officer Jake Sonczalla. All six were placed on administrative leave per Parker Police Department policy following the shooting; their current status has not been publicly confirmed.

The CIRT report reconstructs the night in precise detail. At 10:19 p.m., investigators say, Dyer was standing in the parking lot when he drew a handgun and fired 14 rounds into the air, prompting the police response. Davison reached the scene roughly 10 minutes after it was first secured and found 14 shell casings on the pavement. Officer Courtney Reed arrived shortly after.

Davison entered the store and told Dyer officers were responding to a shots-fired call and asked what he had seen. Dyer's answers shifted repeatedly. He first said he heard gunshots but that no one had entered the store. Then he said a man had come in, made a purchase, and left on foot. Under continued questioning by Sgt. Rosselot, Dyer said the suspect had pumped $10 of gas, then changed his account again: the suspect had left in a black car. When Davison asked why Dyer had not called 911, Dyer said he was scared and had locked the doors before retreating to the back of the store. Davison noted the doors were unlocked when he arrived.

The confrontation turned fatal as officers continued questioning. When the first officer round was fired, the report states, Dyer "had completed his draw, and his handgun was generally pointed at Sergeant Rosselot, who was less than 10 feet away from Dyer without cover." Multiple officers told investigators they feared for their lives. The six officers then discharged all 31 rounds within four seconds.

The 23rd Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team conducted the investigation, drawing personnel from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, and the Littleton, Castle Rock, Lone Tree, and Elizabeth police departments, alongside the DA's own office.

Parker official Hans acknowledged the significance of the department's first officer-involved shooting in eight years: "We're very proud of the fact that it has been eight years, but we don't want to diminish the fact that there was still a loss of life."

Brauchler's March 19 report is a public record available through the 23rd Judicial District's office. Body-worn camera footage and supplemental physical evidence reviewed by investigators have not been confirmed for public release.