An Arapahoe County grand jury will investigate whether an Aurora police officer should face criminal charges in the fatal shooting of a Black man during a confrontation that began after the man evaded a traffic stop.
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Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, 37, was killed by Officer Matthew Neely on Aug. 30 after Neely tried to pull him over for speeding near East Sixth Avenue and Sable Boulevard. Aurora police said Belt-Stubblefield crashed into two vehicles while trying to evade the stop.
In the wake of the shooting, Police Chief Todd Chamberlain blamed Belt-Stubblefield for the confrontation, highlighting that he tossed a gun into the grass after he got out of his car, did not follow police orders and continued to walk toward Neely.
But Belt-Stubblefield’s family has said Neely’s body camera shows Neely first initiated the confrontation by grabbing Belt-Stubblefield by the back of the neck to try to take him to the ground.
Family members previously said they intend to sue the city for Belt-Stubblefield’s death.
The Arapahoe County district attorney’s office on Friday said the case is being referred to a grand jury for further investigation.
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The 18th Judicial District’s Critical Incident Response Team has completed an investigation, and the district attorney’s office reviewed those records, agency officials said.
Colorado district attorneys usually publish decision letters after critical-incident investigations to explain why they are or are not filing criminal charges against the involved officers, including whether an officer’s use of force was justified legally .
“The grand jury is a separate and independent investigative body,” the Arapahoe County district attorney’s office said Friday. “It will review evidence, conduct any additional investigation it deems appropriate, and ultimately determine whether probable cause exists for the filing of formal criminal charges.”
The Aurora Police Department has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks, with the City Council narrowly passing a measure to limit the publication of booking photos and require city approval for the agency’s social media posts and news releases.
And an independent monitor who oversees court-ordered reforms to the department on Wednesday called for city officials to review three recent police shootings in which officers killed people who were experiencing a mental health crisis.
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