Body cam video from Aurora police shooting of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield released on day family calls for justice

The Aurora Police Department on Friday released the body camera footage from one of their officers showing that officer trying to arrest and then shooting and killing 37-year-old Rajon Belt-Stubblefield. It happened last month after the man refused to comply with demands and attempted to fight the officer following an attempted traffic stop. It happened on Aug. 30 near 6th Avenue and Billings Street in Aurora.

 Belt-Stubblefield's family says they plan to push for charges against the officer who shot Belt-Stubblefield three times, the final time in the head. The officer's identity so far is being withheld by the police department. Nationally prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump is now representing the family and held a press conference with them on Friday, as well as with other members of the family's legal team.

"He was a beautiful person, and he loved everyone," said Belt-Stubblefield's widow at the news conference.

His son Zion was nearly at a loss for words.

"I was supposed to move in with him the day after everything that happened," Zion said.

He saw his father shot and killed before his eyes.

The situation began when the officer attempted to pull over the vehicle Belt-Stubblefield was driving.

Stubblefield then drove into some other vehicles.

The body worn camera video released by APD shows the unknown officer pull out his gun and point it at Belt-Stubblefield while he is approaching him in his damaged vehicle. Belt-Stubblefield eventually opens the door. He then exits his vehicle with one hand tucked behind his back. Officers say he was concealing a gun. The officer grabs Belt-Stubblefield and the two begin to wrestle. Eventually the officer regains his footing and Belt-Stubblefield is seen with nothing in his hands. That's when Belt-Stubblefield begins to walk toward the officer. The officer -- still holding Stubblefield at gunpoint -- pushes him. Stubblefield tells his son several times to get something and points to the ground. At one point Belt-Stubblefield turns around and the officer strikes him on the side of the head. Stubblefield continues to move toward the retreating officer down until the officer shoots him twice in the chest and once in the head.

"There is no justification for any shot, especially that third shot," said Crump.

Belt-Stubblefield's family says they think the officer escalated the situation by striking Belt-Stubblefield when his back was turned, that he could have used less-than-lethal force, and that he didn't need to shoot an already-wounded Belt-Stubblefield in the head.

"It was so unnecessary to execute him with that head shot," Crump said.

Since the incident, Aurora police have said the officer feared for his life because Belt-Stubblefield exited the vehicle with a gun and kept telling his son to pick it up. Belt-Stubblefield's family says now that they've seen the body-worn video, they are convinced the officer murdered their loved one, and they want justice and transparency.

"Transparency will mean the naming of the officer and a release of the entire internal affairs file, and every time he has used force and every review of that use of force. Because we understand this was a problematic officer for years that they knew about and they allowed to continue to be out there with a gun in his hand," attorney Milo Schwab said.

Rajon's lawyers say for now they will let the attorney general and district attorney do their job and investigate, but they didn't rule out taking civil action against the city if they feel justice hasn't been served when all is said and done.