Joint News Release From Aurora Police And Family Of Naeschylus Carter
The Aurora Police Department and the family of Naeschylus Carter, represented by the law firm Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC, issue this joint statement in response to the Jefferson County District Attorney's decision to convene a grand jury with regard to Mr. Carter's death on March 6, 2015. The Aurora Police Department and Mr. Carter's family have met numerous times since Mr. Carter lost his life in the officer-involved shooting. We continue to support the Jefferson County District Attorney's hard work on this matter and ask the community to remain patient, and to continue to respect the process, which now includes an even larger component of community participation through the grand jury.
We trust that the grand jury investigation will be a truth-seeking exercise that will reveal all information surrounding Mr. Carter's death. Both the family and the Aurora Police Department understand that confidentiality is a necessary part of the grand jury process, to allow for a proper determination through a full, fair, and independent investigation.
The Aurora Police Department has supported and cooperated with the investigation by the Jefferson County DA's office. Officer Paul Jerothe remains on a non-enforcement duty status while this investigation is pending.
Mr. Carter was loved by many, and his family continues to grieve his loss. His family appreciates the overwhelming support and the sincere condolences offered by the community, Chief Metz, and District Attorney Peter Weir. The family commends Chief Metz's leadership in this situation. The Aurora Police Department has kept open lines of communication, offered all possible assistance to the family, and begun a dialogue toward a constructive resolution of this matter.
This incident occurred in the first few days of Chiefs Metz's appointment as Chief of Police of the Aurora Police Department. The Department is committed to improving accountability as it pertains to use of force matters and internal investigations. In particular, the Department has moved the Internal Affairs Office out of police headquarters and has taken steps to see that internal affairs investigations are timely, thorough, of the highest quality.
The Carter family is committed to ensuring that Mr. Carter's death brings about positive change. Mr. Carter's family supports and encourages Chief Metz to implement changes that may prevent similar tragedies in the future.
We recognize that a joint statement at this time may be unusual, but this is an unprecedented situation. The Aurora Police Department and the family of Mr. Carter want peace in our community. The Aurora Police Department remains committed to keeping the lines of communication open with the community and encourages opportunity for constructive discussion.
There is a larger discourse about policing occurring nationwide. Today's announcement reminds us that our community of Aurora faces similar challenges and opportunities. The family of Mr. Carter and the Aurora Police Department ask our community to be leaders in this important discussion. We can achieve this only by working together to help bring positive change.
