The Aurora police officer who shot and killed a 37-year-old Black man after an attempted traffic stop last year, sparking community outrage, is expected to be indicted by a grand jury, multiple sources told Denver7 Investigates.
The officer could face multiple charges, including second-degree murder related to the shooting death of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield on Aug. 30, 2025, according to Denver7 Investigates sources.
Our partners at The Denver Post reported in February that Matthew Neely was the Aurora police officer involved.
The officer's body camera, released in the weeks following the shooting, and nearby surveillance cameras on 6th Avenue and Sable Boulevard in Aurora depict the moments leading up to the fatal shooting.
The officer reportedly attempted to pull over Belt-Stubblefield in a traffic stop. Body-worn camera shows the officer approach Belt-Stubblefield’s car with his gun drawn, demanding that Belt-Stubblefield put his hands in the air.
Police reports describe Belt-Stubblefield driving off, crashing into two vehicles at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Billings Street.
In the body-worn camera, Belt-Stubblefield disregarded commands to put his hands in the air, moving to the sidewalk. The officer unsuccessfully tried to tackle him, and at that point, Belt-Stubblefield appeared to toss a gun into the grass.
He then advanced toward the officer for roughly 50 feet while the officer continued to shout commands for Belt-Stubblefield to get on the ground.
During this encounter, Belt-Stubblefield’s son could be heard on body-worn camera shouting “dad, chill,” “officer, chill” and the officer tells him to “get on the ground.”
The officer took several steps onto Sixth Avenue, firing three shots that hit Belt-Stubblefield in the chest and head, killing him.
In the days following the shooting, Aurora Police Department Chief Todd Chamberlain defended the officer’s actions.
Community members and attorneys for Belt-Stubblefield’s family said the officer escalated the situation and that his life was not in danger since Belt-Stubblefield was unarmed when he was shot.
Earlier this year, Belt-Stubblefield’s family filed two notices of claim that they intended to sue the City of Aurora, with attorneys saying each lawsuit would be for at least $20 million in damages.
"It's not OK for police to kill people because they make a mistake, because they don't listen. We only allow police officers take a life when their lives are truly in danger, and this officer's life was never in danger," attorney Milo Schwab, previously representing Belt-Stubblefield's family, said earlier this year.
The case has attracted the attention of national civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, one of the attorneys who represented George Floyd's family. Crump is now representing Belt-Stubblefield's family.
The indictment of the Aurora police officer in this case has not yet been made public, and a press conference is expected at 11 a.m. Monday.
Schwab told Denver7 earlier this year that a grand jury is a less common tool used in Colorado, where a group of people are called to review a case.
Denver7 Investigates has reached out to the City of Aurora for comment on the indictment and will update this story when we hear back.
Prior coverage:
- Grand jury to decide if Aurora officer faces charges in Rajon Belt-Stubblefield shooting
- Family of man killed by Aurora police intends to sue city for wrongful death, emotional distress
- Aurora community continues call for justice during vigil for Rajon Belt-Stubblefield
- Autopsy report shows Rajon Belt-Stubblefield was shot three times, had a BAC of .274
- Bodycam, surveillance footage shows fatal police shooting of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, whose family responds
