{"id":176,"date":"2026-05-08T10:04:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T10:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=176"},"modified":"2026-05-08T10:04:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T10:04:07","slug":"aurora-lawmakers-ok-uniform-condolences-for-officer-involved-shootings-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=176","title":{"rendered":"Aurora lawmakers OK uniform condolences for officer-involved shootings"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

AURORA<\/strong> | City lawmakers approved an amended resolution offering condolences to families and the community for officer-involved shootings, while acknowledging the council\u2019s legal obligations and impacts to police.<\/p>\n

The resolution, sponsored by Councilmember Rob Andrews, comes after years of contentious meetings and sustained pressure from activists and families demanding accountability in officer-involved shooting cases involving the Aurora Police Department.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Council voted 7-3 to pass the resolution, with council members Fran\u00e7oise Bergan, Stephanie Hancock and Angela Lawson opposing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It establishes a consistent public stance on behalf of city council, acknowledging the tragedy of officer-involved shootings and expressing sympathy for those affected, while detailing that ongoing litigation prevents any other public comment.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

During Monday\u2019s council meeting, Andrews and Councilmember Alli Jackson presented an amended version of the resolution that included language about the community\u2019s concerns with police use of force and racial and ethnic disparities in policing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another change added that officer-involved shootings are a tragedy for the community, \u201cincluding the lives of officers, their families, friends, and supporters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCity Council stands in mourning with all who are adversely affected by these tragic events,\u201d the resolution states.<\/p>\n

Several council members thanked Andrews for collaborating with both sides of the issue to craft the resolution. Councilmember Curtis Gardner said he supported the resolution because it offered humanity while pointing out the council\u2019s legal and financial responsibilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s disappointing that some have framed supporting this as anti-police, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s anti-police, I think it\u2019s an acknowledgement that there is hurt and pain in our community,\u201d Gardner said. \u201cWhile the city council didn\u2019t pull the trigger, as one commenter put it earlier, we certainly can feel sympathy for those families. I think that\u2019s a responsible thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Public commenters were largely supportive of the amendment, \u00a0who called it a sign of progress in how city officials handle the issue, though they continued to push for substantive changes, such as independent police oversight.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile this resolution is an opportunity for you all to engage in thoughtful language, that the community can review, can hear and can bear witness to, we know that this resolution is not structural change,\u201d MiDian Shofner said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The resolution got some push back from conservative council members, including Bergan, who was incensed that Andrews and Jackson suggested an amended resolution at the meeting. She said Andrews had told her that there wouldn\u2019t be more changes following the ones discussed at an April 20 study session.<\/p>\n

Andrews did not address Bergan\u2019s complaint.<\/p>\n

The condolence measure comes as the city marks four years under a consent decree imposed on the city and police. The decree followed investigations by the state attorney general into repeated incidents of excessive use of force and discrimination by Aurora police, particularly against people of color, including the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, who died at the hands of police and first responders after being stopped, even though he was unarmed.<\/p>\n

At the April 20 meeting, conservative council members pushed back on the resolution for not making a distinction between shootings that have been deemed \u201clegally justified\u201d or not, a determination made by local district attorneys after investigation. Some city lawmakers were at the time critical of the bill for not including the impact officer-involved shootings have on police.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bergan pointed to the officer-involved shooting in April, where Amare Garlington, a 23-year-old Black man experiencing a mental health crisis, attacked an officer with a knife, stabbing him in the head. The officer shot and killed Garlington during the attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should show sympathy and empathy for that officer and his family as well,\u201d Bergan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

City lawmakers have faced repeated criticism during public meetings, often interrupted by protesters calling for discipline of officers, policy changes and broader reforms. The tension has been fueled in part by high-profile cases, including the 2024 fatal shooting of Kilyn Lewis and others, after the 2019 death of Elijah McClain.<\/p>\n

The resolution states that while individual council members may hold personal opinions, the body as a whole \u201cmust refrain from commenting publicly on any matters with pending claims or litigation\u201d to protect the city\u2019s legal interests.<\/p>\n

It also states that Colorado law essentially requires the city to defend officers and cover financial judgments in such cases.<\/p>\n

Read more Winter\u2019s back in Aurora, closing schools and downing trees<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read more State-level legislative effort to shrink single-family lots across Colorado fails<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read more Man to plead guilty in 2025 Boulder firebombing attack on pro-Israel demonstrators<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AURORA | City lawmakers approved an amended resolution offering condolences to families and the community for officer-involved shootings, while acknowledging the council\u2019s legal obligations and impacts to police. The resolution, sponsored by Councilmember Rob Andrews, comes after years of contentious meetings and sustained pressure from activists and families demanding accountability in officer-involved shooting cases involving […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[107,11,12,13,108,14,109,110],"class_list":["post-176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-metro","tag-alison-coombs","tag-aurora-city-council","tag-aurora-police-department","tag-elijah-mcclain","tag-francoise-bergan","tag-kilyn-lewis","tag-officer-involved-shooting-proposal","tag-rob-andrews"],"yoast_head":"\nAurora lawmakers OK uniform condolences for officer-involved shootings - Denver Moving Chronicle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=176\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Aurora lawmakers OK uniform condolences for officer-involved shootings - Denver Moving Chronicle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"AURORA | City lawmakers approved an amended resolution offering condolences to families and the community for officer-involved shootings, while acknowledging the council\u2019s legal obligations and impacts to police. 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