EDITOR’S NOTE: Video depicts graphic violence.
AURORA | Prosecutors say an Aurora convenience store security guard was justified in the fatal shooting of a man that held a gun to the guard’s head before a struggle broke out Aug. 31, according to a statement from 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason.
“After a review of the evidence, the District Attorney’s Office and the Aurora Police Department agree that the security guard fired his weapon in self-defense and was legally justified in doing so,” Mason said. “Therefore, no arrest will be made, and no charges will be filed against the security guard in this incident.”
Officers were called to the 7-Eleven store at 12085 E. Colfax Ave. at about 9 p.m. Aug. 31 after reports of a shooting.
“When officers arrived at the scene, they located a 36-year-old man with a gunshot wound,” police spokesperson Joe Moylan said previously in a statement. The man was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and died.
He was later identified as Vernon Dorsey.
Store video supplied by prosecutors show Dorsey coming up fast behind the guard and immediately pulling a gun. The video reveals the struggle for weapons and the suspect being shot as bystanders scurry away.
“Dorsey placed a handgun to the back of the security guard’s head and demanded his gun and threatened to kill him,” Mason said.
During the struggle, the security guard managed to retrieve his own gun and shot Dorsey in the chest,” Mason said.
Common sense, people. Point a gun at the head of someone who obviously has a gun and you just might get popped. Not even sure why this is news…?? Surely no one is gonna try to counter this?
In 2014 Vernon Dorsey was arrested as a member of a violent criminal gang. In 2016 he violently attacked an RTD bus driver and was sentenced to 6 years in prison. Now, in 2024, he jumps a security guard and puts a gun to his head. No telling what other crimes Vernon Dorsey committed in his short life—these are just the ones that made the local papers. And, if we had access to his school and juvenile criminal records, we would most likely find a long history of violence. Next time a person with a gang and violent history endangers a whole busload of innocent people—let’s put him away for decades. We simply must do a better job of removing and keeping violent individuals from the streets. We are very, very lucky that in this unprovoked recent attack, it was Vernon Dorsey that died and not the innocent store worker.