AURORA, Colo. — The mother of Kilyn Lewis is pushing back against comments made by an Aurora City Council member during Monday night's meeting about the death of her son.
"First and foremost, I do send my condolences to the Kilyn Lewis family. The legal term for what happened to Kilyn, it is murder. That is the technical term. It is murder, but what it is, is it's justified murder, and that is what, that's what is decided," Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky said Monday.
She had classified the death of the 37-year-old unarmed Black man as "murder" on the "Brother Jeff Show," posted to Facebook May 6, 2025. During Monday's Aurora City Council meeting, Jurinsky repeated that Lewis was murdered but sought to clarify what she said on the local podcast.
"I was given the legal advice that to say Kilyn Lewis was murdered is not out of line, and it is not incorrect. He was murdered, but it was found to have been justified," Jurinsky said.
On May 23, 2024, Aurora SWAT officer Michael Dieck shot and killed 37-year-old Lewis. On Oct. 11, 2024, the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office announced it would not press criminal charges against Dieck, but Dieck is no longer on the Aurora SWAT Team.
In response to the statement Jurinsky made during Monday's Aurora City Council meeting, Lewis' mother LaRonda Jones said, "Councilwoman Jurinsky spoke the truth when she called it murder. What's painful is watching her now try to rewrite that truth to protect herself instead of protecting the community she claims to service."
Denver7 reached out to the Aurora Police Department for comment and are waiting to hear back.
Aurora
DA: No charges will be filed against Aurora officer who shot, killed Kilyn Lewis
Both the Aurora and Denver police departments had Lewis under surveillance on an outstanding warrant for attempted first-degree murder in relation to a shooting on May 5, 2024. During an arrest attempt, Lewis pulled an object out of his pocket — later identified as a cell phone — in front of armed SWAT members, seen in bodycam video footage released in June 2024.
18th Judicial DA John Kellner said the officers formed a semi-circle around Lewis as he was exiting his car. Lewis moved from the trunk to the driver's side door, as Officer Dieck told Lewis to "get on the ground" several times. Lewis "raised his right hand while keeping his left hand by his side, and continued to walk towards the driver's side door of the car," according to Kellner.
Once Lewis reached the door, he "lowered his right hand and began to move his hand around in the vicinity of the right rear of his pants." Kellner said that Lewis "[appeared] to manipulate something in his waistband or pocket." Following a second round of commands, Lewis "slightly bends his knees and appears to be retrieving something from his right rear pocket," according to Kellner. That's when Dieck fatally shot Lewis.
Prior coverage:
- Independent monitor applauds Aurora's 'embrace' of consent decree, response to Kilyn Lewis' death
- Aurora officer who shot, killed Kilyn Lewis did not violate agency policy, report finds
- Aurora independent monitor asks APD to examine questions surrounding Kilyn Lewis death
- Report by Aurora police watchdog raises questions about shooting that killed Kilyn Lewis
- District attorney will not press criminal charges against Aurora SWAT officer who shot, killed Kilyn Lewis
- Rally before Aurora City Council meeting brings attention to Kilyn Lewis investigation, Venezuelan immigrants
- 'We demand justice': Supporters of Kilyn Lewis speak out at Aurora City Council meeting
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