AURORA | Police released new details and video related to an Oct. 3 shooting by police of a man who appeared to be armed with an assault-style rifle in northwest Aurora.
The man, identified as Kory Dillard, 37, was fatally shot by an Aurora Police officer after an apparent attempted robbery in an Aurora apartment parking lot prompted numerous 911 calls about a man “waving around” a gun.
The video comes two days at Channel 7 News reported the Dillard’s family said they will file a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.
Police said the shooting began at about 1:30 p.m. when a resident at Brent’s Place, on the 1600 block of Oswego Street, called police to say two men outside in a parking lot were fighting, and one appeared to be armed with an assault-style rifle.
Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said at a press conference in October that Dillard was reportedly trying to steal another man’s car keys by brandishing what turned out to be a “tactical replica” of an assault-style gun. It was also described as a “tactical air rifle.”
Dillard and the victim struggled for a while before the Dillard struck the victim in the head with a rock, witnesses told police.
He then walked down the street and pulled the air rifle from his nearby van while trying to intimidate community members with it, including threatening a woman on the street, Chamberlain said.
“That replica of a tactical air rifle looks exactly the same as an authentic AR-15,” Chamberlain said last month.
When police arrived, Dillard was told by police to drop the weapon. He pointed it at the officers, and one officer fired two rounds, officer body cam video shows.
The gunfire struck Dillard and he was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries, police said.
“I don’t know why he felt the need to continue on and escalate that once the officers arrived,” Chamberlain said, “but what I do know is that those officers responded to a very, very fluid, a very, very dangerous situation, and they took the action that at that time, and their perception in their mind was the only due course that they could take.”
The investigation is ongoing, and Chamberlain said in October police are searching for questions about the suspect’s actions. He plans to contact family and friends to pinpoint the cause.
Dillard was reported by police to be visiting his girlfriend at apartments where the shooting took place shortly before the incident happened.
“We think that in this apartment complex is a possible girlfriend of our suspect, and from what we know from initial conversations with her is that she was intimidated, she was afraid of his actions and his behavior, and she didn’t let him into that apartment,” Chamberlain said.
Police did not release new details linking the Dillard to the apartment.
Investigators said it appears the man was living in the van outside Brent’s Place where he retrieved the air rifle.
Brent’s Place provides housing for families with children or adults receiving long-term health care at one of several healthcare institutions nearby at the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Speaking to questions about whether a mental-health crisis unit should have handled the 911 call, Chamberlain said that with the appearance of an assault rifle and the extent of the violence Dillard was showing at the time, police were the required approach.
Chamberlain said it was “alarming” that a fight involving someone armed with an “AR-style” weapon occurred where dozens of families stay for healthcare and nearby a middle school.
Parallel to an Aurora investigation into the shooting, a Critical Incidence Response Team is providing a separate investigation. Under state law, CIRT units, comprising the district attorney and other metro police departments, make determinations on whether shootings are justified, or whether criminal charges are warranted.
Seems like this idiot wanted to be killed. Not sure why else someone would waive a very real looking firearm at police! Did he really think they’d just let him get away with his criminal mischief? Another Darwin Award winner off our streets, but if the City gives the family one dollar to settle the lawsuit we should all be very angry. The family doesn’t deserve to win the lawsuit lottery because of stupidity.
Suicide by cop. It’s a thing.
The blue print for this potential lawsuit will follow the illusion this was intentional by APD, because living in Aurora its very dangerous and lethal if you are a man of color. The fact, no mater how much any lack of self discipline this guy had it’s going to be twisted into somebody else made it into the problem. What a scam strategy.
Hard to fault the officers on that one. Anyone with any sense would have shot him. From that distance, and in that short of a time span, that 100 percent looks real. Once he pointed it, that was it.
I hate it for the family, but I don’t see this lawsuit going very far.
YOU HAVE ZERO RIGHT AND OR FACT TO BASE YOUR ASSUMPTIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA . PLEASE DO YOUR OWN DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE SPEAKING! A MAN WHO THINKS HE KNOWS SOMETHING KNOWS NOTHING AT ALL!
This article is full of misinformation. Get the facts straight. APD played judge and jury once again. The girlfriend wasn’t afraid and he wasn’t visiting. He lived at that apartment and his girlfriend wasn’t home.
Piece of shit reporting.
This article is full of misinformation. Get the facts straight. APD played judge and jury once again. The girlfriend wasn’t afraid and he wasn’t visiting. He lived at that apartment and his girlfriend wasn’t home.
Bad and misleading reporting.
Suspect suicide by cop. Sad.
Why would anyone point what appears to be a weapon at anyone?
Just watched a YouTube videof a driver’s dashcam recording.
Driver appropriately honked his horn at a scooter rider stopped in front of the driver’s car.
Rider on back of the scooter got off and approached with a handgun pointed athe driver.
Immediately I would have shothe man with our 9mm automatic (handgun).
Rider sprayed water on the driver’s windowithisquirt gun. [window with his squirt]
The dolt’s prank would have caused his own death.