Denver man found not guilty in Tesla charging station shooting
Jurors on Wednesday found a Denver man accused of shooting and killing another Tesla driver at a supercharger station, not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges. Jeremy Alan Smith, 40, was arrested in December 2023 on suspicion of killing Adam Fresquez after an apparent road rage-fueled confrontation on May 3, 2023.
Police said the shooting happened at the Edgewater Public Market at the 5500 block of West 20th Avenue. Authorities said both men were driving Teslas and that surveillance video showed both vehicles pulled up to the Tesla supercharger station in the parking lot of the Shake Shack at approximately the same time. According to court documents, Smith allegedly then maced Fresquez, who walked toward his vehicle and shot him twice in the back.
Edgewater police investigators said Smith called 911 after pulling out and driving off afterward. Fresquez was rushed to the hospital, where he died a short time later.
The trial lasted six days in Jefferson County Court and the jury deliberated for less than one day. After the verdicts were read in court on Wednesday morning, the judge ordered Smith released from custody and said he was free to go.
"From the beginning, we believed in this case and were compelled to present the evidence that contradicted the defendant's self-defense claim. The complexities surrounding self-defense claims are often best addressed by a jury, as it allows the community to uphold justice while evaluating individual actions against shared societal expectations. We thank the jury for their service throughout this important case," said First Judicial Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Rhoads in a statement.
The Denver Justice Project, which worked with the Fresquez family in hopes of Smith being convicted, said in a statement: "This case is yet another example of racial bias in the application of self defense laws where White defendants are far more likely to be justified, especially when the victim is a person of color."
