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On May 12th, the Aurora Police Department made the decision to shoot and kill Rashaud Johnson. The officer responsible has been placed on paid leave pending an investigation, which will no doubt find his actions justified. They take the life of a rising comedy star, a kind and loving man cherished by his family, friends, and community, and then investigate themselves and act as if there was no other choice. It is a story all too familiar to countless families across the country. But these killings can be stopped.
The killing of Rashaud Johnson, like every killing in Aurora at the hands of the APD, proves two things: APD as it is will consistently fail its community, and that our failed system upholds racist violence and injustice. The same goes for the murder of Kory Dillard, Kilyn Lewis, George Floyd, and every other person who the police deprived of their right to a fair trial. Every killing by the police is a result of their training in killology, the weapons at their disposal, and the way the most violent, corrupt, and racist cops are sheltered by the so-called “justice system”.
The toll of police violence continues to rise year after year because officers always get away with it. These officers must be held accountable for their actions. Not by some internal review board, not by an “external” council made up of investigators from colluding law enforcement agencies, but by the very communities these officers are meant to be serving. If the police are allowed to act as judge, jury, and executioner with zero consequences, they will not stop.. Violent and racist police officers and their departments must face consequences for their actions, including indictment and conviction for their crimes.
To avoid responsibility, the police continue to hide the evidence. The Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee is hard at work filing CORA and CCJRA requests for bodycam footage, coroner’s reports, and police reports relating to the numerous victims of the APD’s violence. They respond by sending us on fool’s errands and hiding evidence behind multi-thousand-dollar paywalls. In the most recent case of Rashaud’s murder, even his family has not been allowed to see all the footage. This is a flagrant display of contempt for the law, as well as the people the APD claim to serve and protect.
The APD cannot be allowed to continue killing with impunity. We must take action to create real change in the way our justice system functions. We must demand more from the “leaders” in the government and put pressure on them to serve the people. An interaction with the police should not be a death sentence. Our black and brown neighbors should not be scared for their lives every time they see a police uniform. It is time for change.
The family of Rashaud Johnson, with the full support of DACAC, demands the following:
The release of full, unedited bodycam footage related to Rashaud’s killing, as well as the coroner’s report
A truly independent investigation into Rashaud’s killing, including an independent autopsy
The public release of the identity of the officer responsible
Criminal charges against the officer responsible
A guarantee that the officer responsible is not eligible for employment as a law enforcement officer anywhere else
A full apology from the city of Aurora and Adams County
Community control of the police
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