AURORA, Colo. — Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain fought back against what he called “misinformation” surrounding the deadly police shooting of a Black man over the weekend.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Chamberlain defended the officer who shot and killed 37-year-old Rajon Belt-Stubblefield during a confrontation that followed an attempted traffic stop near the intersection of Interstate 225 and 6th Avenue on Saturday evening. According to Chamberlain, it is not yet clear if the officer followed Belt-Stubblefield on suspicion of speeding or driving under the influence.
"We are here today because of a very serious incident. A man lost his life. One of our officers was placed in a dangerous and fast-moving situation, and our community rightfully has questions," Chamberlain said at the start of the press conference.
Chamberlain said Belt-Stubblefield did not stop for the officer, and eventually collided with two vehicles before exiting his car.
At some point after he got out of the car, Chamberlain claims Belt-Stubblefield threw a gun onto the ground nearby.
"After tossing the handgun, he then began walking back towards it, towards the officer, even though the officer had ordered him multiple times to stop," Chamberlain said. "Other individuals that were surrounding the location started to show up based upon the traffic collision. And he started to say, numerous times to incite them basically — and I'm going to use this verbatim, because I think it's important — he said multiple, multiple times, get the sh--, get the sh--, while he continually pointed back at the handgun."
Chamberlain said that one way the officer attempted to de-escalate the situation was by hitting Belt-Stubblefield.
"The suspect then turned on the officer, raised his fist and said, 'I'm ready for this. Are you ready for this?' And then he aggressively advanced," Chamberlain said. "The officer, who was alone, outnumbered, backed into the street and oncoming traffic, and ordered the suspect multiple times to stop and listen to his commands — all of which were ignored at this time. The officer discharged his firearm. The suspect was struck and killed."
While the investigation into the shooting is still ongoing, Chamberlain estimates the officer fired his weapon three times. The chief believes aid was rendered less than a minute afterwards.
"This was a tragic incident. A life was lost. An officer was forced to make a split-second decision that no one wanted. But the suspect's actions created this danger, and our officers responded to survive and to protect others," he said. "This was not something that the officer, the department, or the City of Aurora wanted. Our officer was performing his duty, enforcing traffic laws and keeping our roads safe. He did not choose this confrontation. It was the suspect's actions that escalated and turned this into violence."
The Aurora police chief said the officer involved in the shooting took several steps to try to de-escalate the situation.
"Less lethal options were used. De-escalation was used. De-escalation doesn't come in the form of just a device or a mechanism. It comes in the force of space. It comes in the presence of time. It comes in the aspect of communication," he said. "It's not only the officer that's involved in the de-escalation process. It's also the suspect and how he responds and how he reacts to it. On all of these de-escalation opportunities that were given to that suspect, he did not respond productively. He responded in actually the opposite way. He got more aggressive."
The incident was captured on body-worn camera and Flock Safety surveillance videos, and Aurora's top cop said witness statements support the officer's actions.
"It appears the officer believed he faced an imminent threat of death or serious injury, and he acted," Chamberlain said. "We also understand, and I do understand this without question, the broader context of what we are discussing today. The suspect was a Black male. Aurora is presently and remains under a consent decree designed specifically to address bias and force issues. We know that trust is fragile, without question, and we take that incredibly, incredibly serious. That is why this case will be investigated thoroughly, independently, and transparently."
Chamberlain said the full body-worn camera video will not be released to the public until after Belt-Stubblefield's family can review all of the footage. As of Tuesday, Chamberlain said that had not happened yet.
According to Chamberlain, the officer involved has not yet been interviewed by the independent agency that is investigating the shooting, which is the 18th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT).
"What they usually do is allow the officer to have a sleep cycle and to be able to meet with attorneys, be able to meet with other individuals, and at that time the interview is done," Chamberlain said. "It is not something that Aurora PD has absolutely any control over whatsoever."
Chamberlain is withholding the identity of the officer involved in the shooting because of alleged threats made on social media toward that officer and his family. However, he did confirm that the officer was involved in past use-of-force situations and had personnel complaints in his history.
Meanwhile, The Epitome of Black Excellence and Partnership sent a statement in response to the press conference on Tuesday. The statement addressed different portions of Chamberlain's comments, beginning with the discarded weapon.
"If Mr. Belt-Stubblefield indeed discarded a weapon into a grass-covered area, that is an act of disarming himself, not threatening the officer or the community. To claim otherwise is to twist fact into fiction in order to justify state violence," the statement reads.
The CEO of The Epitome of Black Excellence and Partnership, MiDian Shofner, witnessed the shooting. The statement continued to address the phrase "get the sh--," saying the police chief's perception of what that meant is "reckless speculation masquerading as fact."
The group also stated they do not consider hitting Belt-Stubblefield as using de-escalation tactics, which the chief said during the press conference.
"If officers are being trained that a closed fist to the face is de-escalation, then Aurora is not training peacekeepers; it is training aggressors," the statement continued.
Ultimately, The Epitome of Black Excellence and Partnership says it does not agree with the community trust in the Aurora Police Department being described as fragile.
"The truth is, there is no trust," the statement read. "Aurora Police have squandered it through repeated acts of violence, dishonesty, and disrespect. What remains is not fragility, it is a void."
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