Photo: Getty Images
A family is seeking justice after a Black man shot and killed by a SWAT officer while holding a cellphone, the Associated Press reports.
The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Kilyn Lewis unfolded during an arrest in the parking lot of a condo building in Aurora, Colorado on May 23.
In body camera footage released by Aurora police, officers appeared to emerge from unmarked vehicles before shouting at Lewis to get on the ground. Video shows Lewis took a few steps towards his car and put his right hand behind his back. He then appeared to raise his arms in surrender.
At the time of his apparent surrender, Lewis was holding what was later identified as a cellphone in his right hand. Lewis was bending his knees to get on the ground when an officer opened fire.
“I don’t have nothing. I don’t have nothing. I don’t have nothing,” Lewis said.
Other officers at the scene didn't shoot at Lewis. Officers had initially pursued Lewis on an arrest warrant in connection to a May 5 shooting in Denver, according to court documents.
Lewis’ mother, LaRonda Jones, is calling for the officer to be prosecuted for her son's "outright murder." Jones also suggested that Aurora police have a pattern of using excessive force against Black people, citing the death of Elijah McClain, who died in 2019 after being stopped by police while walking home from a store.
“This is not just about one officer or one incident. It’s about a broken system that devalues Black lives,” Jones said during a press conference.
Aurora police said they're still investigating the incident.
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