A Rocky Ford police officer has been charged with second-degree murder in the October shooting death of a 27-year-old man.

James Ashby, 41, has been on leave since he shot and killed Jack Jacquez Jr., early in the morning on Oct. 12 in a residence near the intersection of Swink Avenue and North 3rd Street.

Ashby was booked Friday into the Otero County jail. He is being held on a $1 million bond, according to court records.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said Ashby was arrested at the La Junta Police Department. The Otero County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado State Patrol also assisted in the investigation.

Ashby’s arrest warrant has been sealed by a judge, so details about the shooting were not available. His next court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to a CBI news release.

“I’m relieved we are getting some justice and this hasn’t been swept under the table,” said Jack Jacquez Sr.

Ashby was a former Walsenburg police officer before he began his position in Rocky Ford.

Jacquez was engaged to be married at the time he was shot and killed. He died after being taken to the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center in La Junta.

The father said his son, while not perfect, was not a bad man and didn’t deserve to be killed.

“He dressed real cool,” Jacquez Sr. said. “He liked the throwback jerseys and cool caps. He was real clean and nice-looking. He dressed like a gangster but he wasn’t one.”

Rumors have been flying around town about what may have led to the shooting, but Jacquez Sr. said officials have been tight-lipped about the circumstances.

“Nobody official has talked to me at all,” he said.

The shooting led to protest marches and a candlelight vigil in Otero County as some compared the shooting to that of Michael Brown, who was shot in August by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo.

A Facebook page created in Jacquez’s memory said “Jack deserves justice.” After news of Ashby’s arrest on Friday, a poster exclaimed, “JUSTICE FOR JACK J JACQUEZ.”

Rocky Ford has a population of about 4,300 and is located 55 miles east of Pueblo on U.S. 50.

Noelle Phillips: 303-954-1661, nphillips@denverpost.com or twitter.com/Noelle_Phillips