EDITOR’S NOTE: Aurora police have released the curated video focusing on the shooting. Check back for more on this developing story:
AURORA | The family of a man killed by a member of an Aurora SWAT unit last month during his arrest are calling for criminal charges to be filed against the officers who fired the fatal shot.
Kilyn Lewis, 37, was shot while in the parking lot of an Aurora condo complex May 23 as SWAT officers attempted to arrest him on pending attempted-homicide charges stemming from a Denver warrant, police said previously.
“The body-worn cameras that recorded what happened to Mr. Lewis show there is probable cause to arrest Officer Michael Dieck for his murder,” attorneys said in the statement, referring to the officer accused of shooting Lewis during the arrest.
Aurora police previously said Dieck is a 12-year veteran of the police department, logging eight years on the SWAT unit.
Attorneys for Lewis’ family said Aurora interim Police Chief Heather Morris and other officers met with family members last week and revealed body-worn camera videos.
In a statement Wednesday, attorneys for the firm Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC said APD will release the same video to the public Thursday at 9 a.m.
Aurora police did not confirm the time of the video release, but officials said the release was planned “in the coming days.”
Spokesperson Agent Matthew Longshore said police will release a curated video composed of officer body-worn camera video footage as well as some commentary by police. Aurora police offered a similar video a few weeks ago after another officer-involved shooting incident.
Attorneys said the video depicts Lewis outside his car with hands raised, reacting to police demands to surrender. At one point, Dieck fires a single shot at Lewis as he is being arrested by multiple officers, and Lewis drops to the ground.
“If a civilian with less weapons training, less body armor, and less tactical policing experience than Officer Dieck had on May 23 shot and killed Mr. Lewis under the exact same circumstances, that civilian would undoubtedly have been arrested and charged with murder,” attorneys said in a statement. “Officer Dieck’s fate should be no different. No APD police officer should be above the law, not even in Aurora, the Colorado town whose police force has become notorious for killing unarmed Black men.”
Aurora is currently under a consent decree with Colorado Attorney General office, stipulating “patterns and practices” of excessive force and mistreatment of Black people encountered by officers
The shooting occurred just before noon at Edenbrook condominiums at 384 S. Ironton St. in west-central Aurora.
Police said Denver and Aurora police SWAT units went to the complex earlier in the morning and set up to arrest Lewis in connection with a May 5 Denver attempted-murder case.
Details of that case were not immediately available, but police have previously said the charge was for attempted first-degree murder and involved the shooting and injuring of a man.
Aurora police at the time of the May 23 shooting described Lewis as a high-priority arrest for Aurora and Denver police.
Aurora police have since begun a shooting investigation as well as an internal affairs investigation. The 18th Judicial District will be part of a Critical Incident Response Team, providing an third-party investigation into the shooting.
Last month, police released a curated video compiled of officer body-worn camera outtakes and comments from police addressing a May 5 Aurora officer-involved shooting. In the video, interim Police Chief Heather Morris offers some detail about the shooting, but states that the video was touted as a new protocol for APD, and an effort to provide “transparency and accountability.”
Family members in the press statement from attorneys described Kilyn as a committed father, husband and sibling to a large family.
Attorneys for the family have scheduled a press conference at the attorneys’ office at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
“Kilyn’s family wants Justice,” attorneys said in the statement. “They want Officer Dieck to be fired and banned from policing Coloradans, especially Black Coloradans.”
But in lieu of their other demands they will gladly accept money, lots and lots of money.
If contacted by police, I would do as ordered, immediately.
Whether police contact is justified or not, I would not give them any cause/excuse to shoot me.
If not justified, live to take police to court.
If justified, take the consequences and make the best of it.
He was wanted on a Homicide warrent which intensifises the stop. I heard a recording of the families attorney saying he (suspect)was reaching back to his back pocket to retrieve his phone when he was shot.DUH! His ignorance got himself shot. Everyone knows not to move an inch if cops have guns pulled on you.
So many racist comments, from racist dregs. “Dieck fires a single shot at Lewis as he is being arrested by multiple officers.” Why are you firing when someone is complying and actively being arrested? “No one mentioned money but you Pubelius. Yet, other non black families receive settlements when their family members are murdered…..I bet you have no issues with that. The warrant doesn’t change that he was unarmed, DUH. You also have no idea if they even had the right person or if he even did anything, DUH. Moving your arms, body, or using your cell is not a death sentence. I watch plenty videos daily of non black people of both genders not complying, running, fighting back, screaming the cuffs hurt/too tight, I want my lawyer, give me back my phone, I’m gonna sue, what’s your name and badge number, call your supervisor etc etc. They have been sprayed and brought down, not killed. They have been tazed, not killed…. yet, they can’t seem to do that over and over again for black people. I hope him and his family get justice. Mentally, emtionally, spiritually, physically, and yes, Financially just like other race people. He had two children and their mothers. He has/had a wife, parents, siblings and a host of family members affected, as well as the community and world. This has got to stop, point blank.
when in a situation like that some ppl f*** up not everyone is gonna react to the situation the same some not thinking on top of nerves can cause you to make a bad decisions it happens a life was lost didn’t even wait just a moment to see if it was a gun im stumpt to how u can confuse the two in broad daylight