{"id":931,"date":"2026-05-28T15:03:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T15:03:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=931"},"modified":"2026-05-28T15:03:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T15:03:52","slug":"aurora-police-watchdog-calls-for-task-force-after-officers-kill-3-people-in-mental-health-crises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=931","title":{"rendered":"Aurora police watchdog calls for task force after officers kill 3 people in mental health crises"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The independent monitor overseeing court-ordered reforms to the Aurora Police Department on Wednesday called for the city to conduct a broad review of three recent police shootings in which officers killed people who were in the midst of mental health crises.<\/p>\n

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Independent monitor Jeff Schlanger, in a special 12-page report, requested that Aurora officials investigate the broader circumstances surrounding each fatal shooting, including considering each victim\u2019s mental health history, prior warning signs, attempted interventions and prior interactions with the public safety system.<\/p>\n

The review should examine systemic gaps and shortcomings in the incidents, and how both Aurora police and other professionals can work to fill those gaps, Schlanger told The Denver Post.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a call for the city to really examine this entire system,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The special report was prompted by the April 9 shooting of Amare Garlington, Schlanger said. The 23-year-old man was suicidal and held a butcher\u2019s knife to his own throat before charging at officers and stabbing both Officer Mark Moore and a police dog at an Aurora apartment complex. Moore shot and killed Garlington.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was not, on its face, a conventional criminal enforcement encounter. It was a crisis response that became a violent confrontation,\u201d the report reads. \u201cThat distinction is important because it directs attention to the broader question of whether the public system surrounding behavioral health intervention is sufficiently robust to reduce the likelihood that such crises culminate in sudden close-range violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

That shooting raised the urgency of issues already on the independent monitor\u2019s radar and convinced the oversight group they could not wait until the next regular report in the fall to address them, Schlanger said.<\/p>\n

The report also outlines two other fatal Aurora police shootings that warrant further review; in both cases, the victims were unarmed.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Officer Derek Paulson shot and killed 17-year-old Blaze Balle-Mason on Sept. 18 after the boy called 911, claimed to be armed, threatened to start shooting inside a gas station and then ran at officers.<\/p>\n

Officer Brandon Mills killed 32-year-old Rashaud Johnson on May 12, 2025, as he trespassed in a parking lot near Denver International Airport. That officer shot Johnson as the man walked toward him with his hands at his side about 45 seconds after the end of a physical altercation in which he and the officer tussled on the ground.<\/p>\n

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Schlanger called for Aurora to launch a task force with representatives from the police and fire departments, the city and mental health service providers to identify gaps in the city\u2019s behavioral health safety net and consider how to fix those problems. The review should also involve state and federal systems, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBreaking down the silos is important, and then understanding, as well as we possibly can, what can be done differently to achieve a better outcome in these situations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Ryan Luby, a spokesman for the city, said in a statement Wednesday that Aurora officials agree with the monitor\u2019s recommendations \u201cand welcome deeper conversations about this topic with all community stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report emphasizes efforts Aurora and the police department have already made to improve their processes and resources, but concludes that more work needs to be done.<\/p>\n

The Aurora Police Department has been under a court-monitored consent decree since 2021, following the death of Elijah McClain. The department agreed to change its use-of-force, hiring and training policies as part of the decree, and submit to outside oversight.<\/p>\n

Qusair Mohamedbhai, whose Denver law firm brought a lawsuit against Aurora police over Johnson\u2019s killing, said Thursday that the monitor\u2019s report carries little substance.<\/p>\n

\u201cRashaud has been dead for over one year. Aurora continues to stand by its officer and its monitor only now says, \u2018Convene a task force,’\u201d he said. \u201c\u2018Do not call the police in Aurora if your loved one is in acute mental health crisis\u2019 should have been the recommendation of the monitor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Colorado\u2019s biggest outdoor adventure festival returns this weekend<\/a><\/p>\n

Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The independent monitor overseeing reforms to the Aurora Police Department called for the city to conduct a broad review of three recent police shootings in which officers killed people who were in the midst of mental health crises.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-and-public-safety","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAurora police watchdog calls for task force after officers kill 3 people in mental health crises - Colorado Springs Moverss<\/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:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=931\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Aurora police watchdog calls for task force after officers kill 3 people in mental health crises - 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