Photo: GoFundMe
A family is seeking answers after a Colorado officer shot and killed a 37-year-old Black man after he allegedly tossed his gun to the ground during a routine traffic stop.
The fatal encounter between an unidentified Aurora police officer and Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, 37, unfolded on Saturday (August 30) at roughly 7 p.m. near I-225 and 6th Avenue. Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said Belt-Stubblefield failed to comply with an officer’s attempt to pull him over and instead collided with two vehicles before exiting his vehicle.
After leaving his car, Chamberlain alleged Belt-Stubblefield tossed a handgun to the ground and then began walking back toward it despite multiple commands to stop.
“After tossing the handgun, he then began walking back towards it, towards the officer... Other individuals that were surrounding the location started to show up... 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.”
Police said the officer attempted to deescalate the situation by striking 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 alleged. “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... The officer discharged his firearm. The suspect was struck and killed.”
The police chief said the officer was put in a "dangerous and fast-moving situation" and believed he was facing an "imminent threat of death or serious injury."
Belt-Stubblefield’s family has launched a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral costs.
“The police have not shared much with us beyond what they’ve told the press, leaving our family grieving, heartbroken, and searching for answers,” the fundraiser reads. “Rajon was loved deeply by his family and friends. He was a son, a brother, a husband, and a man whose life was cut short far too soon.”
Body camera footage of the shooting hasn't been publicly released. Chamberlain said an investigation into the fatal incident would be conducted “thoroughly, independently, and transparently.”
The police chief also acknowledged the department's troubled history, including the 2019 death of Elijah McClain and the wrongful detainment of young Black girls in 2020.
“We also understand—and I do understand this without question—the broader context of what we are discussing today,” Chamberlain said. “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.”
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