Jessica Hernandez, 17
Denver, Colorado
January 25, 2015
Agencies: Denver Police Department Colorado | Denver District Attorney's Office Second Judicial District Colorado
Cause of death: Not Yet Known
Last updated: almost 4 years ago
Overview 
The death of an unarmed 17-year-old Colorado girl who was shot by police was ruled a homicide, according to a medical examiner's report released Friday showing that she suffered four gunshot wounds.
Jessica Hernandez's Jan. 26 death sparked protests and was investigated by the Denver District Attorney's Office. The Denver Police Department said officers opened fire on Hernandez when she drove a stolen car toward them, but the family's lawyer, Qusair Mohamedbhai, said the autopsy tells a different story.
The autopsy performed by Denver Chief Medical Examiner James Caruso shows Hernandez was shot two times in the left side of her torso. Two more gunshot wounds in Hernandez's pelvis and right thigh may have resulted from the same bullet, according to the autopsy. The bullets fatally wounded Hernandez's heart and both lungs. She also had marijuana and a small amount of alcohol in her system, the report found.
"There was no evidence of close range discharge of a firearm associated with any of the entrance wounds," Caruso said in the report.
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Additional Resources:
- http://feministing.com/2015/01/28/16-year-old-queer-latina-jessie-hernandez-killed-by-denver-police/ added May 19, 2016 19:33
- http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_28259458/jessica-hernandez-no-charges-denver-cops-who-fatally-shot-teenage-girl added March 09, 2016 00:48
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