– Black man shot holding cellphone
– Family wants murder trial SWAT officer.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
In a tragic incident in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Kilyn Lewis, a 37-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by a SWAT officer on May 23. The family of Lewis is now demanding a murder trial for the officer responsible after portions of the body camera footage of the shooting were made public.
The footage shows officers approaching Lewis in the parking lot of a condo building, shouting at him to get on the ground. Despite appearing to comply with their commands by raising his arms in surrender, Lewis was shot by an officer while holding a cellphone in his right hand. The officer fired a single shot at Lewis just as he was about to get on the ground, leading to his tragic death.
An arrest warrant had been issued for Lewis in connection with a shooting that occurred on May 5 in Denver, where a man was injured. However, the family of Lewis believes that the officer’s actions were unjustified and are calling for justice to be served.
During a news conference, Lewis’ mother, LaRonda Jones, expressed her outrage and called for the officer to be prosecuted like any other individual who commits a similar crime. She highlighted the systemic issues with law enforcement in Aurora, referencing the death of another Black man, Elijah McClain, in 2019.
Edward Hopkins, Jr., one of the family’s lawyers, criticized the police for releasing the video in a way that seemed favorable to the officers. He mentioned that the family was allowed to view the video of the shooting last week, but the raw footage has not been released in response to a records request.
The family believes that Lewis was caught off guard by the officers’ approach, which Hopkins likened to how a gang might confront someone. They are urging the local prosecutor and the state attorney general to take action and ensure that the officer responsible for Lewis’ death is held accountable.
As the investigation into the shooting continues, Aurora police have refrained from commenting further on the case. The family remains determined to seek justice for Kilyn Lewis and to address the broader issues of systemic racism and police violence in their community.
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– Black man shot holding cellphone
– Family wants murder trial SWAT officer.
