About This Case:
Rashaud Johnson—a 32-year-old Black man, comedian, beloved son, and member of our community—was fatally shot by an Aurora Police Department officer despite being unarmed and posing no serious threat. Mr. Johnson entered The Parking Spot near Denver International Airport in the midst of a mental health crisis. The Parking Spot’s attendees called 911 and asked for them to dispatch someone to check on Mr. Johnson. But rather than send someone to help Mr. Johnson, the Aurora Police Department dispatched a single officer, Brandon Mills. Officer Mills spent the next few minutes escalating the situation and refusing to disengage, prompting what Officer Mills later described as a “tussle.” When Officer Mills stood up from that tussle, he re-engaged, drew his firearm and aimed it at Mr. Johnson. From that point on, Officer Mills disregarded the fact that Mr. Johnson was unarmed, that Mr. Johnson was calmly walking through the field, or that Mr. Johnson was dozens of feet away—Officer Mills had already decided to kill Mr. Johnson. Officer Mills opened fire at a distance, shooting Mr. Johnson twice in the torso. As Mr. Johnson collapsed in that field, blood pouring from his chest, Officer Mills stood at a distance, still holding him at gunpoint. Officer Mills made no attempt to provide life-saving aid for five minutes and forty-two seconds after he shot Mr. Johnson—when he finally handcuffed Mr. Johnson and placed a solitary hand on his fatal wound, at the prompting of a recently arrived officer.
Mr. Johnson died in an airport parking lot, alone and unarmed. His toxicology screen revealed no illegal drugs in his system. The only marks on his record were a traffic citation and minor marijuana charge from over a decade ago. He had spent his life exploring world religions, wrapping his arms around his family, and telling jokes that made both Colfax comedy clubs and his grandmother laugh.
Yet another unarmed Black man has been condemned to death by the Aurora Police Department. Under the APD’s playbook, officers escalate encounters that a reasonable officer would resolve peacefully. APD officers bait Black citizens standing on the other side of the weapons into making one wrong move. The APD’s list of victims is matched only by their list of broken promises. In the wake of Elijah McClain’s death, APD entered into a consent decree, promising the community that it would stop robbing families of their children. Recent homicides by APD officers, however, demonstrate that the APD and its officers are turning their backs on that consent decree.
Mr. Johnson’s murder fits into a pattern of unlawful behavior by the APD and its officers, but he was and will always be more than a mere statistic. He was a light in his community, and his friends and family are better for having known him. Our firm is proud to represent his family in their pursuit of justice against the officer and the city responsible for this needless loss.
