Aurora Police Chief Meets with Family of Jor’Dell Richardson, Reviews Body Camera Footage
Interim Police Chief Art Acevedo of Aurora engaged in a meeting on Tuesday afternoon with representatives and attorneys of Jor’Dell Richardson’s family, the 14-year-old boy who was fatally shot by the police following a reported armed robbery last week. The meeting took place after the police department received video footage from body cameras worn by two officers involved in the shooting.
The Rathod Mohamedbhai law firm, representing Richardson’s family, released a statement on Tuesday stating that the family was deeply affected by the shooting death of their beloved boy and that watching the videos raised more questions than answers.
Under Colorado law, police are required to wait 72 hours before publicly releasing body camera footage after providing it to the family in such cases. Interim Chief Acevedo is expected to meet with the media on Friday afternoon.
FOX31 had requested the video shortly after the shooting occurred, and Richardson’s family members have been urging for the release of the body camera footage. In an interview with CBS News, the boy’s father, Jameco Richardson, claimed that his son was shot in the back by the police.
According to the police, Richardson was part of a group of teenagers suspected of robbing a convenience store to acquire vape cartridges. They allege that the teenager, who was set to begin high school in the fall, was armed with a gun at the time he was shot on June 1. However, they have not provided extensive details about the events leading up to the shooting.
At least two other individuals were apprehended in connection with the incident on June 1. Police stated that they were also searching for several other suspects who fled in a Kia Sedona minivan.
The incident unfolded when a sergeant from Aurora’s Gang Intervention Unit first noticed the alleged robbers wearing hoodies and surgical masks near a convenience store, as mentioned by Chief Acevedo after the shooting. The sergeant called for additional officers to the scene to assist in pursuing the suspects.
On the day of the shooting, Acevedo explained that one of the officers encountered the boy, who was in possession of a pistol and ordered him to drop the weapon.
“At one point, the officer discharged his firearm,” stated Acevedo. The officer who fired the shots has been a member of the Aurora Police Department since 2017 and part of the gang unit since 2019, according to Acevedo. The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave.
The 18th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team is currently investigating the shooting, while the Aurora Police Department will handle the investigation into the robbery. Aurora’s Direct Action Response Team (DART) and the SWAT team are working to locate the other individuals involved in the incident.
