Video: Colo. Police Officer Struggles with Suspect in Airport Parking Lot
What to know
- Aurora police responded to reports of a trespasser attempting vehicle break-ins at a private lot near the Denver airport, and the man became aggressive and began to struggle with an officer.
- More officers were called as backup, and the suspect was fatally shot during the confrontation.
- The first responding officer who fought with the suspect suffered minor injuries, and the shooting is under investigation.
By Max Levy
Source The Denver Post
Aurora police revealed Thursday that an officer was tackled and struggled to hold onto his gun before he fatally shot a trespassing suspect, who was apparently unarmed, earlier this month.
The unidentified officer shot Rashaud Terrelle Johnson, 32, near a parking lot in the 19900 block of East 56th Avenue after hours of 911 calls from employees at the lot, Aurora Police Department Chief Todd Chamberlain said at a news conference.
“Without question, this is a tragic situation for everybody involved,” Chamberlain said. “It’s tragic for the suspect, it is tragic for the suspect’s family, it is tragic for the officer, and it is tragic for the entire community.”
The officer was placed on paid leave per department policy, the chief said. Chamberlain said the officer was previously involved in an officer-involved shooting where he did not fire his weapon and had been on the force for four years.
Employees of the lot, which serves travelers to Denver International Airport, called 911 repeatedly starting at 2:58 p.m. May 12, saying Johnson appeared to be intoxicated, did not have shoes and was tampering with cars.
Body-worn camera video included in an APD social media video posted Thursday shows the officer pulling up and trying to talk to Johnson, who walks away and paces near a vehicle gate.
At one point, Johnson starts walking quickly toward him. The officer pushes Johnson backward and tries to fend him off with a baton and Taser, but Johnson continues to charge at him, and the two fall to the ground.
The officer calls for backup using his radio and yells for help. He also tells Johnson that he is “not in trouble.”
After they stand back up, Johnson continues to approach, and the officer draws his gun and tells Johnson to back up while walking backward himself. The officer then fires his gun twice, and Johnson collapses.
Chamberlain on Thursday emphasized the officer’s attempts to de-escalate the encounter.
“He is definitely not the aggressor in this. That suspect is the aggressor,” he said.
He also said that “the absence of a weapon does mean there is an absence of danger” and that the officer struggled to maintain control of his firearm.
The shooting is being investigated by the 17th Judicial District’s Critical Incident Response Team as well as the department’s Internal Investigations Bureau.
_________________
©2025 MediaNews Group, Inc.
Visit at denverpost.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
