New video shows Aurora police officer chase and shooting of 14-year-old Jor'Dell Richardson
The Aurora Police Department uploaded a new batch of videos Monday, one of which shows Officer Roch Gruszeczka and another officer chase 14-year-old Jor'Dell Richardson into an alley, tackle the teen and shoot him.
Aurora police initially said Jor'Dell was armed and robbed a convenience store on June 1. They later said it was a BB gun in Jor'Dell's waistband, but Aurora Police Chief Art Acevedo, at a news conference earlier this month, showed photos of a handgun and BB gun side-by-side to demonstrate their similar appearance. The department posted bodycam footage of the shooting earlier this month, but much of it is obscured due to the officers being in such close proximity to Jor'Dell in the moments leading up to Gruszeczka shooting Jor'Dell.
One video the department uploaded Monday was taken by a security camera pointed right at the location of the shooting, but the footage is blurry and the shooting took place in the shadows and, thus, not offering a clear picture of what exactly was happening.
CBS News Colorado is not posting the video, as it could be upsetting to some viewers, but those who choose to watch it can do so on Aurora police's YouTube page. Viewer discretion is advised.
Lawyers representing Jor'Dell's family said the new videos are just more evidence of the need for transparency and accountability on the part of Aurora police.
"The surveillance videos released today continue to show that Jor'Dell never threatened an officer with a weapon," attorney Siddhartha Rathod said. "There is no evidence from any of the videos released to date that shows this shooting of a 14-year-old child was justified. What the videos do demonstrate is that the Aurora Chief of Police cannot be trusted to be objective."
Rathod has called out Acevedo and the department for its actions, public statements and release of footage related to the shooting and subsequent investigation.
"He needs to come out here and he needs to apologize to this family. Apologize to this to this community out here standing in the rain," he said at Jor'Dell's funeral procession earlier this month. Rathod pointed to what he claimed were misleading comments by the chief: "He left out that prior to being shot, (Jor'Dell) said, 'you got me, you got me.'"
In addition to an investigation by Aurora police, the 18th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team is conducting a separate probe to help establish whether laws were broken by the officers.
That investigation could take several months to complete.
Aurora police acknowledged an emailed request for comment Monday, but did not otherwise respond.
