AURORA, Colo. — The family of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, a man shot and killed by an Aurora police officer following a traffic stop last August, has announced plans to sue the city of Aurora for wrongful death and emotional distress to his son caused by the shooting.
During a press conference outside the Aurora Municipal Center Monday, attorneys for Belt-Stubblefield's family said they filed two notices of claim, calling it a "necessary legal step toward accountability." Both lawsuits will seek at least $20 million in damages.
"It's not okay 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," said Milo Schwab, an attorney with Ascend Counsel representing Belt-Stubblefield's family.
The notices of claim said that attorneys believe that the use of lethal force by the officer was not appropriate in the situation. Belt-Stubblefield's son, 19-year-old Zion Murphy, was at the scene of the shooting and witnessed his father being killed.
Murphy said he's glad family members, community advocates, and attorneys are still pushing for accountability after his father's death.
"At first I felt like that everybody was just going to let the situation die and everybody forget about it," he said. "You know, he was a good person, you know, he was a good father to me and my little siblings."
During the press conference, Belt-Stubblefield's wife, Tandra Blankson, said she has felt joy missing from her life ever since her husband's death.
"I miss my husband, but I miss my friend," said Blankson. "I am tired of being afraid and having to feel like I have to be strong when I am terrified all the time."
Belt-Stubblefield was shot and killed near I-225 and 6th Avenue in Aurora after an attempted traffic stop. Aurora Police said an officer tried to pull him over, but Belt-Stubblefield kept driving and struck at least two other cars. Police said Belt-Stubblefield then got out of his car, walked toward the sidewalk, and tossed a handgun into the grass.
Body camera video released by Aurora Police shows the officer approaching Belt-Stubblefield and making multiple demands for him to get on the ground. The video shows Belt-Stubblefield advancing toward the officer, who then backs into the road and fires several shots.
During a press conference days after the shooting, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said the officer was alone, outnumbered and backed into the street after Belt-Stubblefield came toward him.
"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.
Attorneys for the family argue it was the officer's choices that created the situation and said the officer's tactics to de-escalate the situation only made it worse.
"He's the one that backed himself into the street, a street that was... where traffic had clearly stopped," said Schwab.
"I would like somebody to respond and tell me, name one move that that officer used that was tactical. Name one move that you saw that was a part of a training that we have paid for," said attorney Clifford Jones, with Ben Crump Law.
APD Chief Chamberlain has previously defended the officer's actions, saying the officer was placed in a dangerous, fast-moving situation. Aurora Police said the department has not completed its internal investigation of the shooting. A spokesperson for the department said the officer involved has returned to full duty with the traffic unit.
