AURORA, Colo. — A decision by the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office to muzzle the Aurora Police Department in the immediate aftermath of Monday’s deadly police shooting came to light Thursday.
Police Chief Nick Metz held a news conference to try and clear up the mass of confusion surrounding the Monday morning Aurora police shooting that left 73-year-old Richard “Gary” Black Jr. deadwho’d just killed an intruder, 26-year-old Dajon Harper.
“There’s been a great deal of frustration in the community for the lack of information that has come out,” Metz said.
Since the shooting, the department has been on the defensive as a result of accusations raised by Black’s family and an attorney for the family. Specifically, that word got out the wife of the victim gave a detailed description of the suspect before police went into the home.
It was reported earlier in the week that the wife gave police a description of the suspect to a 911 operator. That fact was corrected more than 72 hours after the shooting.
Reading a statement from the family, Metz said there was never a physical description given of the suspect.
“The family acknowledges the APD’s position that responding officers did not receive a description of intruders,” Metz read.
In the hours after the shooting, the DA’s office sent a release that no information would be coming out, and on Thursday, 17th Judicial Assistant District Attorney Jess Redman defended his decision.
“I can’t make any decision other than to ask that we not prematurely release information,” Redman said.
By Thursday evening, the police department released the complete statement from the Black Family. You can read it below:
Statement from the Black Family. #APDNews pic.twitter.com/bvWaWVgek1
— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD) August 3, 2018
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