Aurora Police Officers Won't Face Charges For Drawing Guns On Black Children
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- The Aurora police officers who detained four Black girls and held them at gunpoint last summer, handcuffing some of them, won't be charged. The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office did state what happened to the innocent occupants is "unacceptable and preventable" and urges the Aurora Police Department to review its policies.
The incident on Aug. 2, 2020 stemmed from a mix-up over a stolen vehicle.
Brittney Gilliam said that she was going to a nail salon that day with her 6-year-old daughter, 12-year-old sister and 14 and 17-year-old nieces when police drew their weapons on them. Gilliam said she, her sister and 17-year-old niece were handcuffed while police verified that the car Gilliam was driving was not stolen.
Gilliam and all four girls are Black. The vehicle had in fact been stolen months before and then returned the next day by Aurora police.
The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office reviewed the incident and released the findings on Friday. In the letter of review, it states that, "However, despite the disturbing fact that terrified children were ordered out of a vehicle at gunpoint and placed face-down on the ground, our conclusion is that there is not evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the APD officers involved unlawfully, intentionally, knowingly, or negligently violated any Colorado criminal law. It is our hope, however, that APD will immediately undertake a review of their policies to try and ensure that nothing of this sort ever happens again."