Aurora police on Friday held a news conference to release body-worn camera video showing an officer fatally shoot 14-year-old Jor’Dell Richardson after he ran from police investigating suspicious activity.
According to police, officers on June 1 chased a group of teenagers who ran from a convenience store near the intersection of East Eighth Avenue and Dayton Street. A gang sergeant on patrol noticed the group and asked for backup because the teens were wearing medical masks and sweatshirts, a news release from the police department said. Police took two teens into custody and others fled in a car that police said was stolen.
Two officers chased Richardson, who was armed, into an alley. According to police, one of the officers shot Richardson “during a struggle to take him into custody.”
After the shooting, investigators determined that at least one of the teenagers threatened the convenience store clerk with a gun and they took several vape canisters, according to police.
The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave while the 18th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team is investigating the shooting.
Family members of Richardson and their lawyers watched the footage at Aurora police headquarters Tuesday, police officials and family representatives said. State law mandates that law enforcement agencies wait 72 hours after showing body camera footage to the family of someone killed by police before releasing it publicly.
Richardson’s family last week called on police to release the videos and said the 14-year-old had never been in trouble with police. He had just graduated eighth grade.
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.
Source: Read Full Article
