{"id":2843,"date":"2026-06-25T21:33:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T21:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843"},"modified":"2026-06-25T21:33:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T21:33:10","slug":"aurora-police-officer-cleared-by-adams-county-da-in-fatal-shooting-of-rashaud-johnson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843","title":{"rendered":"Aurora police officer cleared by Adams County DA in fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

AURORA<\/strong> | The Adams County district attorney ruled that no criminal charges will be filed against Aurora Police Officer Brandon Mills in the fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson, saying that prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mills\u2019 use of force was unlawful.<\/p>\n

17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason announced his decision in a review letter released Thursday following an investigation by a Critical Incident Response Team into the May 12, 2025, shooting at The Parking Spot, an airport parking facility in northeast Aurora.<\/p>\n

Johnson, 32, was shot twice and killed after a confrontation with Mills that began when the officer responded alone to multiple calls from employees reporting a man trespassing on the property and behaving erratically.<\/p>\n

Mason wrote that investigators conducted a thorough review of the incident and concluded there was \u201cno reasonable likelihood\u201d of proving any criminal offense by the officer beyond a reasonable doubt.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cTherefore, no criminal charges will be filed against the officer involved in this incident,\u201d Mason said in his opinion letter.<\/p>\n

Aurora police declined to comment on the decision.<\/p>\n

Mason\u2019s opinion comes nearly a year after Johnson\u2019s death and months after his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Mills and the City of Aurora.<\/p>\n

Attorneys representing Johnson\u2019s family have argued that Mills escalated an encounter with the unarmed Black man who appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis and that the shooting should be scrutinized by a jury.<\/p>\n

According to police records, video tape and the district attorney\u2019s review, employees at The Parking Spot first contacted police shortly before 3 p.m. on May 12, 2025, reporting a barefoot man lingering around the office and making staff uneasy. Additional calls to police for help followed throughout the afternoon.<\/p>\n

Employees told dispatchers that Johnson was wandering around the property, entering and leaving the office area, and attempting to open doors on parked vehicles. During the first calls, employees said Johnson did not appear to be violent. The business manager later reported that Johnson appeared to be trying to argue with employees and that they feared for their safety.<\/p>\n

Mills was dispatched at 5:18 p.m. and arrived nine minutes later, according to police records.<\/p>\n

Body-worn camera footage summarized in Mason\u2019s letter, and released to the public last year, shows Mills initially approaching Johnson in what prosecutors described as a conversational manner.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey man, what\u2019s going on today?\u201d Mills asked Johnson, according to the review. \u201cWhere are your shoes at?\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson did not respond and appeared to ignore repeated questions and commands, according to police and the video tape.<\/p>\n

At 5:28 p.m., after Mills told Johnson he needed to leave the parking facility, Johnson turned suddenly and ran toward Mills, according to Mason\u2019s report.<\/p>\n

In the officer-body-cam video, Mills can be seen backing away, called for assistance and warned Johnson to stay back.<\/p>\n

Investigators said Mills then used several levels of force in an attempt to stop Johnson, including baton strikes and two Taser deployments.<\/p>\n

Neither appeared to have any impact or affect on Johnson.<\/p>\n

Johnson then tackled Mills, and the two men struggled on the ground in a landscaped area near the parking lot, according to witness statements, body-camera footage and Mills\u2019 interview with investigators.<\/p>\n

Several employees reported seeing Johnson on top of the officer and attempting to remove items from his gun belt. Witnesses told investigators they were afraid that Johnson would get control of Mills\u2019 handgun.<\/p>\n

During the struggle, Mills repeatedly shouted for help and radioed requests for immediate assistance.<\/p>\n

After both men regained their footing, Mills drew his handgun and ordered Johnson to get on the ground.<\/p>\n

Mason said in his opinion that Johnson didn\u2019t comply.<\/p>\n

Body-camera footage showed Mills retreating backward while continuing to issue commands. Johnson then began walking toward the officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop! Get back! I\u2019m going to \u2026 shoot you,\u201d Mills shouted, according to Mason\u2019s opinion notes.<\/p>\n

Mills fired two shots and Johnson fell to the ground, video and records show.<\/p>\n

An autopsy determined Johnson died from a gunshot wound to the chest. He also suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and injuries consistent with Taser strikes.<\/p>\n

Toxicology testing detected THC in his blood and tissue, according to the district attorney\u2019s review. The level of THC was not released.<\/p>\n

In his interview with prosecutors, Mills said he was afraid Johnson would overpower him if another physical confrontation occurred. He told investigators he was exhausted, had no backup and was worried because his firearm was already drawn.<\/p>\n

Mason said in his opinion that Colorado law allows officers to use deadly force when \u201cnecessary and reasonable,\u201d including when an officer faces an immediate threat of serious bodily injury or death.<\/p>\n

Mason concluded that Adams County prosecutors would be required not only to prove the elements of a crime but also to disprove legal justifications for the use of force beyond a reasonable doubt.<\/p>\n

Based on the evidence, witness statements, body-camera footage and applicable law, Mason said that standard could not be met.<\/p>\n

He stated that his ruling addresses only the possibility of criminal liability by police and does not address whether Mills followed Aurora Police policies.<\/p>\n

The civil lawsuit filed by Johnson\u2019s family is pending.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read more In France\u2019s historic heat wave, Paris\u2019 dreamy rooftops become a heat-trapping nightmare<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read more Mamdani\u2019s success in New York tests Democratic Party\u2019s willingness to change<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read more Supreme Court lets Trump end protections for Haitian, Syrian migrants. Salvadorans in Aurora at risk, too<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AURORA | The Adams County district attorney ruled that no criminal charges will be filed against Aurora Police Officer Brandon Mills in the fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson, saying that prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mills\u2019 use of force was unlawful. 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason announced his decision in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[12,4615,4616,2298,17],"class_list":["post-2843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-metro","tag-aurora-police-department","tag-brian-mason","tag-employees-at-the-parking-spot","tag-officer-brandon-mills","tag-rashaud-johnson"],"yoast_head":"\nAurora police officer cleared by Adams County DA in fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson - 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=2843\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Aurora police officer cleared by Adams County DA in fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson - Denver Moving Chronicle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"AURORA | The Adams County district attorney ruled that no criminal charges will be filed against Aurora Police Officer Brandon Mills in the fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson, saying that prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mills\u2019 use of force was unlawful. 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason announced his decision in […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Denver Moving Chronicle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-25T21:33:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/860d8c9be7e4969f72ed251197548d9b\"},\"headline\":\"Aurora police officer cleared by Adams County DA in fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-25T21:33:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843\"},\"wordCount\":925,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/7f1410450b0e107d04295ed43fb76c08.png\",\"keywords\":[\"aurora police department\",\"Brian Mason\",\"Employees at The Parking Spot\",\"Officer Brandon Mills\",\"Rashaud Johnson\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Metro\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843\",\"name\":\"Aurora police officer cleared by Adams County DA in fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson - Denver Moving Chronicle\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/7f1410450b0e107d04295ed43fb76c08.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-25T21:33:10+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/860d8c9be7e4969f72ed251197548d9b\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/7f1410450b0e107d04295ed43fb76c08.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/7f1410450b0e107d04295ed43fb76c08.png\",\"width\":922,\"height\":515},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=2843#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Aurora police officer cleared by Adams County DA in fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Denver Moving Chronicle\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/860d8c9be7e4969f72ed251197548d9b\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/denvermovingchronicle.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Aurora police officer cleared by Adams County DA in fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson - Denver Moving Chronicle","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Aurora police officer cleared by Adams County DA in fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson - Denver Moving Chronicle","og_description":"AURORA | The Adams County district attorney ruled that no criminal charges will be filed against Aurora Police Officer Brandon Mills in the fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson, saying that prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mills\u2019 use of force was unlawful. 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason announced his decision in […]","og_url":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843","og_site_name":"Denver Moving Chronicle","article_published_time":"2026-06-25T21:33:10+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/860d8c9be7e4969f72ed251197548d9b"},"headline":"Aurora police officer cleared by Adams County DA in fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson","datePublished":"2026-06-25T21:33:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843"},"wordCount":925,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7f1410450b0e107d04295ed43fb76c08.png","keywords":["aurora police department","Brian Mason","Employees at The Parking Spot","Officer Brandon Mills","Rashaud Johnson"],"articleSection":["Metro"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843","url":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843","name":"Aurora police officer cleared by Adams County DA in fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson - Denver Moving Chronicle","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7f1410450b0e107d04295ed43fb76c08.png","datePublished":"2026-06-25T21:33:10+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/860d8c9be7e4969f72ed251197548d9b"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7f1410450b0e107d04295ed43fb76c08.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7f1410450b0e107d04295ed43fb76c08.png","width":922,"height":515},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2843#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Aurora police officer cleared by Adams County DA in fatal shooting of Rashaud Johnson"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/","name":"Denver Moving Chronicle","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/860d8c9be7e4969f72ed251197548d9b","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com"],"url":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2843"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2843\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}