Surveillance video shows Aurora police chase, shoot dead 14-year-old
Police claim that 14-year-old Jor'Dell Richardson reached for a gun in his possession, although the footage clearly shows two police officers pinning him down.
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An undated image shows Aurora Police Department (APD) badge (APD)
In one of the new videos posted by the Aurora Police Department on Monday, Officer Roch Gruszeczka and another officer are shown pursuing Jor'Dell Richardson, 14, down an alley before shooting him.
Aurora police claimed that Jor'Dell attempted to rob a convenience store on June 1 and was believed to have a gun. The weapon in Jor'Dell's belt was a BB gun, the police added.
This prompted Aurora Police Chief Art Acevedo to display images of a pistol and BB gun side by side at a press conference earlier this month to highlight their similar look. At the same time, the body cam video of the incident was released by the department, but most of it is obscured, because the cops were so close to Jor'Dell when Gruszeczka shot him.
The additional footage, according to attorneys for Jor'Dell's family, is just further proof that Aurora police need to be transparent and held accountable.
"The surveillance videos released today continue to show that Jor'Dell never threatened an officer with a weapon," attorney Siddhartha Rathod said.
"There is no evidence from any of the videos released to date that shows this shooting of a 14-year-old child was justified. What the videos do demonstrate is that the Aurora Chief of Police cannot be trusted to be objective," he added.
Rathod has criticized Acevedo and the department for their deeds, remarks made in public, and the release of video evidence pertaining to the incident and ensuing inquiry.
Earlier this month, Rathod addressed Acevedo at the Jor'Dell's funeral procession, urging him "to come out here and he needs to apologize to this family. Apologize to this to this community out here standing in the rain."
He also responded to what he described as misleading comments by the chief, "He left out that prior to being shot, (Jor'Dell) said, 'You got me, you got me.'"
The 18th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team is conducting a second investigation alongside the Aurora police inquiry to determine whether the cops violated any laws.
That investigation will reportedly take several months to conclude.
Not an isolated incident
US residents, most notably minorities, have in recent years faced increased police brutality and racial profiling.
From Tyre Nichols to Breonna Taylor and Georges Floyd, to name a few, US police brutality hit a new record in 2022 as it killed 1,183 people, with data showing that there were killings on 353 days last year.
US #policebrutality hit a new record in 2022 as it killed 1,183 people, with data showing that there were killings on 353 days last year.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 10, 2023
However, weirdly enough, reports about police brutality and inhumane treatment don't seem to flood the internet and news channels.#USA pic.twitter.com/YL11GbO5au
However, weirdly enough, reports about police brutality and inhumane treatment don't seem to flood the internet and news channels.
