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Aurora police chief says suspect refused to obey officers commands, as family questions use of force



AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) –  New photos of a deadly officer-involved shooting over the Labor Day weekend were released by the Aurora Police Department on Tuesday.

The photos were taken by an officer’s body camera during the shooting that left a 37-year-old man dead around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said an officer who was running radar as part of a DUI enforcement program attempted to stop the driver.

The suspect, according to the chief, did not immediately stop but instead kept going and crashed into two cars.

The chief said the photos show the suspect exiting the vehicle. 

“The individual in the yellow shirt, our suspect, has a gun down to his side, on his right side, with his right arm lowered,” Chamberlain said.

Another photo shows the officer on the ground with the suspect standing over the officer after a “tussle,” according to the chief. Another photo showed the officer aiming a gun at the suspect, who did not appear to have a weapon at the time of the shooting.

A viewer’s video also showed the incident unfolding and the shooting taking place. There were a large number of people using cell phones to document the altercation.

The police department said the suspect tossed his weapon into a nearby grassy area and there was concern that the weapon could still be a danger.

“After tossing the weapon, he began walking back towards it even though the officer had ordered multiple times to stop,” Chamberlain said.

The chief said the suspect also used an expletive and was trying to incite them.

The medical examiner has identified the suspect as Rajon Belt Stubblefield. A person close to him told FOX31 that the family wants to know why less lethal force was not used.

The chief said several de-escalation tactics were used.

“The officer continues to try to de-escalate the situation through verbalization,” Chamberlain said.

The chief also mentioned a number of other tactics, including striking the suspect on his back.

“The officer uses a striking motion to try to, one, break the concentration of the suspect to communicate with these individuals about retrieving a possible weapon, and two, to try to take this individual into custody. That strike had minimal impact,” Chamberlain said.

The chief said the officer also tried to back away during the confrontation, but ended up in the street filled with traffic. The chief said the suspect got into a “fighting stance” with the officer and walked in an aggressive posture towards the officer.

Family members have also raised questions about the officer’s past disciplinary records. Aurora police would not release the officer’s name but did say he had a prior use-of-force incident and personnel complaints, but no major issues.

Actual video of the incident, the chief said, would be released after the family has a chance to view it.

The officer has not given a statement yet. The 18th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team is now conducting an outside investigation and is expected to question the officer.

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