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June 2018 - Posts

Earlier this morning, the Aurora Police Department released brief details in regards to an officer-involved shooting that occurred at 8900 East Colfax Avenue.

The investigation has revealed new details that the Aurora Police Department wishes to provide to the public in the sake of continued transparency. Detectives still have various witnesses to speak with and evidence to sift through, therefore the investigation is still considered to be in its preliminary stages.

Today in a press conference, Chief Metz discussed that he had viewed body-camera footage of the officer-involved shooting and provided the following information in a public statement:

This morning officers responded to the 8900 block of East Colfax Avenue around 12:30 A.M. to investigate a report of shots fired where a person was allegedly menaced with a gun. Officers received a very specific suspect description and began to search the area for the suspect. Just moments later during this search, Officers located a subject on the very same block matching the distinctive description of the suspect.

As Officers attempted to contact the suspect, he fled on foot through the parking lot of the Biltmore Motel located at 8900 East Colfax Avenue. A foot chase ensued and during this foot chase, Officers observed that the male was armed with a gun. They gave verbal orders for the suspect to drop the gun multiple times prior to the officer firing his weapon.

The Subject ran around a blind corner, stopped and was waiting as officers came around the corner. Officers gave more orders for the suspect to drop the gun before shots were fired. Subsequently, a handgun was found in possession of the suspect at the scene.

Officers immediately rendered aid to the subject to include the application of tourniquets and immediately contacted AFD/EMS. The subject was transported to a local hospital where he remained in serious condition for some time until he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries. The suspect is an African American adult male who will be identified by the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office in days to come.

Officers present at the scene were equipped with and properly utilized department issued body-worn cameras.

Chief Metz acknowledged that the loss of any human life is a tragedy. He also remarked that he was proud of the professionalism that his officers displayed during such an incident.

If further information becomes available for public release we will provide an update here.

A press conference detailing more information about the incident can be viewed here:
https://youtu.be/Ie7RHF2wUME

Bill Hummel
Public Information Office
Media Relation Unit
(720) 432-5095


Information previously released on June 27, 2018 at 5:34 AM

On June 27, 2018 just after midnight, Aurora Police Officers responded to the 8900 block of E. Colfax Ave. to investigate the report of gunshots heard in the area. 

 As Officers were in this area, they obtained a description of a suspect who was reportedly involved in the shots fired call.  As Officers checked the area, they located a suspect matching the provided description.  Officers attempted to contact this adult male and a foot chase ensued.  During the foot chase, Officers chased the suspect into the parking lot of the Biltmore Motel located at 8900 E. Colfax Ave.  During the foot pursuit, one officer discharged his firearm, striking the suspect.  A weapon not belonging to officers was found at the scene.

The suspect was subsequently transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.  The identity of the suspect is not being released at this time.

No officers were injured during this incident.   The officer(s) involved will be placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.  The investigation is being handled by the Aurora Police Major Crimes/Homicide Unit in conjunction with the Denver Police Department.  Detectives will work to determine what lead up to the shooting.  Due to the on-going nature of the investigation, no further information is available at this time.

 

Anyone who might have witnessed this incident is asked to contact Detective Nick Huber with the Major Crimes/Homicide Unit at (303) 739-6090. 

 

Officer Bill Hummel

Public Information Officer

Media Relations Unit

(720) 432-5095

Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 27, 2018 at 5:27 PM
  
PRESS CONFERENCE REFERENCE OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING- 8900 EAST COLFAX AVENUE

WHAT:  Press Conference in regards to OIS
WHEN:  Wednesday June 27, 2018 at 4:00 P.M.
WHERE:  Aurora Police Headquarters, 15001 East Alameda Parkway
WHO:  Chief of Police, Nick Metz
CONTACT:  Officer Bill Hummel, Public Information Officer, Media relations Unit- (720) 432-5095 

The conference will be held in a secure location inside of police headquarters so the media is asked to arrive no later than 3:45 P.M. through the main lobby of Police headquarters. A representative of the Media Relations Unit will then provide access into the building.  THIS PRESS BRIEFING IS FOR MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA ONLY- MEDIA MEMBERS MUST PROVIDE CREDENTIALS.  For other members of the public, the event will be live-streamed on our Facebook page. 
Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 27, 2018 at 1:16 PM
  
On the afternoon of June 25, 2018 at about 3:15 P.M., Aurora Police Officers responded to the area of East Pacific Avenue and South Peoria Street on the report of a shooting. As officers arrived, they located one adult male suffering from a gunshot wound at the Family Dollar located at 2110 South Peoria Street.

Officers quickly determined that a single shooting incident occurred at 2095 South Paris Way, where two adult male victims were shot. One of these victims ran across the street after being shot and he was located by officers at the Family Dollar. The male who ran to Family Dollar remains in serious condition and tragically, the other victim succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. The deceased victim will be identified at a later date by the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office pending notification of next of kin.

Aurora Major Crimes/Homicide Detectives responded to the scene along with additional police resources. As a part of the on-going investigation, Detectives will work to determine what lead up to the shooing. At this time, there are no suspects in custody. We are asking for the public’s assistance in solving this murder and gathering any information that witnesses may have. If you have information, you are asked to contact Detective Jamie Krieger at (303) 739-6113. Tipsters can also remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000 by contacting Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-STOP (7867).

Officer Bill Hummel
Public Information Officer
Media Relations Unit
(720) 432-5095
Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 25, 2018 at 6:51 PM
  

On June 17th at about 12:15 p.m., Aurora Police and Aurora Fire Rescue responded to a multi-vehicle crash at East 6th Avenue and Del Mar Circle West.  There they found five vehicles had been involved in the crash.

Initial investigation found that a Nissan sedan was traveling north on Del Mar Circle West when it was struck by a GMC pickup which was traveling eastbound on East 6th Avenue. Those two vehicles then collided with other cars in the intersection as they came to rest.  The driver of the Nissan was transported to a local hospital with injuries.  No one else was injured in the crash.  Once at the hospital, the driver of the Nissan died.  It is unknown whether that person died from injuries sustained from the crash or a medical condition.  Further investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of death. 

The cause of this crash in still under investigation and the other involved drivers remained on-scene and are cooperating.  The names of the involved individuals are not being released at this time.

Chris Carleton
Sergeant, Aurora Police Department
Traffic Section
6 N. Abilene St.
Aurora, CO 80011
Office: 303.739-6243

                      

Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 17, 2018 at 7:19 PM
  

The Aurora Police Department Traffic Unit is asking for assistance from the public in locating a vehicle involved in a serious injury auto/pedestrian crash this morning.

On June 17th at about 3:35 AM, a pedestrian was crossing E. Colfax Ave. just west of Peoria St., when they were struck by a vehicle traveling west on Colfax.  The vehicle left the scene without stopping.  The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. 

The involved vehicle may be a black Toyota Rav4 or similar vehicle.  The vehicle may have significant front-end damage to include the driver’s air-bag having been deployed.  Included with this release are photos of the actual suspect vehicle.

  Anyone with information regarding this vehicle is encouraged to contact Aurora Police at 303-627-3100.

18-23873-1 

18-23873

Chris Carleton

Sergeant, Aurora Police Department

Traffic Section

6 N. Abilene St.

Aurora, CO 80011

Office: 303.739-6243

                      

Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 17, 2018 at 6:44 PM
  
Terry Brown Named Special Operations Bureau Commander

Chief of Police Nicholas Metz is pleased to announce the appointment of Terry Brown to the rank of Commander. He will oversee the operations of the Special Operations Bureau.

Commander Brown started his law enforcement career in 1985 when he was hired as a Deputy Sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. In 1994, he joined the Aurora Police Department and served as a Patrol Officer and a member of the Direct Action Response Team. He later promoted to Agent (Detective) and worked in the Major Investigations, Crimes Against Children Unit.

In 2000, Commander Brown was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He supervised a Patrol Team and was an Investigator with the Internal Affairs Section. In 2002, he was promoted to Lieutenant and served as a Internal Affairs Commander, District Watch Commander, Narcotics Section Commander, and Executive Officer for District 1. In 2009, Commander Brown was promoted to Captain where he served as a Executive Officer for District 1, District 1 Commander, Commander of the Internal Affairs Bureau and Special Operations Commander.

Commander Brown is a graduate of the DEA’s Drug Unit Commanders Academy, Leadership Aurora 2010 and he has received senior police executive training at the Senior Management Institute for Police. He earned his Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Denver and his Bachelors of Science in Applied Management from National American University.

Commander Brown

Officer Kenneth Forrest
Public Information Officer
Media Relations Unit
(720) 432-5095
Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 15, 2018 at 3:14 PM
  

Girl in a flower crown reading on while sitting on the ground
Post by Sara V.H. 

While any form of shared reading and exposure to books is beneficial to a young child, dialogic reading is a form of shared reading that can greatly assist in the development of a young child’s language skills. Dialogic reading “involves reading with, rather than to, the child” (Atkinson, 2013). With dialogic reading, the adult involves the child in the book, encouraging them to participate through prompts, providing feedback to the child, and adapting the way they read to the child based on their developing skills (Atkinson, 2013). While there are a number of ways to engage a child while reading, literacy initiative Reading Rockets uses the acronym CROWD as a guide for parents to engage their children.

  • Completion prompts - having a child finish a sentence in a rhyme scheme to help them learn the structure of language
  • Recall prompts - asking a child to tell you what happened in the story to help them understand plots, either at the beginning of a familiar story or at the end of a new story
  • Open-ended prompts - asking a child to explain what is happening, especially when there are strong images, to help develop their expressive abilities
  • Wh- prompts - asking a child the “5 W’s and H” - who, what, where, when, why, and how - to help develop the child’s vocabulary
  • Distancing prompts - asking a child to relate an aspect of the story to something outside of the story, such as an aspect in their own life
    (Whitehurst, 2017)

These simple prompts can help a child engage more in the story and gain more from storytime.
  
To see dialogic reading in action, visit your local Aurora Public Library for a storytime! A complete schedule can be found at AuroraLibrary.org or here.

Below is also video showcasing dialogic reading.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8jetjDEF4w

Resources

Atkinson, A. (2013). Critical review: Does dialogic book reading improve overall language skills in preschoolers? University of Western Ontario: School of Communication Science and Disorders. Retrieved from https://www.uwo.ca/fhs/lwm/teaching/EBP/2012_13/Atkinson_A.pdf

Whitehurst, G. J. (2017). Dialogic reading: An effective way to read to preschoolers. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/dialogic-reading-effective-way-read-preschoolers
Rx for Success (2016, Sept. 14). Rx for success: Dialogic reading. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8jetjDEF4w

Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 12, 2018 at 9:53 AM
  
on June 11th, 2018 at approximately 1:24 am, Aurora Police responded to a hit-and-run auto pedestrian fatal traffic collision at Clinton and Colfax.  The westbound lanes of East Colfax was closed from Dallas to Chester for the investigation. The suspected hit and run vehicle is described as a white SUV. There is no other information available about the suspected hit and run vehicle. The cause of the collision is still under investigation by the Traffic Section.

Kevin Deichsel
Aurora Police Traffic Section
303-739-6373
Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 11, 2018 at 4:00 AM
  

Brew Tour seal

Cold brews, great books – enjoy both with the Aurora Craft Brews Tour!

Back for its third year, the Aurora Craft Brews Tour gives participants a chance to explore the city’s great craft brews scene, support local businesses and earn prizes from the Aurora Public Library! 

To start your adventure, pick up a passport at any Aurora Public Library or participating business, or print it off from AuroraLibrary.org. Take your passport to participating locations, make a purchase and receive a stamp. Collect four stamps to receive your first prize – a commemorative glass – and collect all eight stamps to receive your second prize – a growler! Prizes are available while supplies last at all Aurora Public Library locations through Wednesday, Nov. 7. 

Participating locations:

We’re making this year’s tour bigger and better than ever! In addition to the passport portion, Aurora Public Library is partnering with local breweries to host fun, free events at the breweries during the tour! Below are a list of Aurora Craft Brews Tour events. All events are free and for adults 21 and older. Please note registration via AuroraLibrary.org is required for some events.

  • Disney Trivia
    Wednesday, May 16, Launch Pad Brewery, 884 S. Buckley Road
  • Craft Night
    Monday, May 21, Peak to Peak Tap & Brew, 16701 E. Iliff Ave.
  • Book Scene Book Club* (Registration required)
    Sunday, June 10, Cheluna Brewing Co., 2501 Dallas St.
  • Adult Spelling Bee
    Tuesday, July 31, 6:30 p.m., Ursula Brewery, 2101 N. Ursula St. #10
  • Netflix Trivia
    Wednesday, Aug. 8, 7 p.m., Launch Pad Brewery, 884 S. Buckley Road
  • Beer & Cheese Pairing* (Registration required and space is limited)
    Monday, Sept. 24, 6:30 p.m., Two22 Brew, 4550 S. Reservoir Road
  • Books & Brews (Library Costume Party & Book Drive)
    Saturday, Oct. 20, Dry Dock Brewing Co.

Earn a bonus prize for attending any of the above programs! Also, visit the City of Aurora booth at local events and show us your passport to receive a bonus prize!

Show us your tour and share your Aurora pride by using the hashtags #AuroraCraftBrews and #ThisIsAurora on social media!
For more information about the Aurora Craft Brews Tour, visit AuroraLibrary.org.

Cheers!

Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 08, 2018 at 2:29 PM
  

On January 3, 2018, Erik Leon Baker was found shot to death near East 26th Avenue and North Himalaya Road. Since then, Aurora Police Major Crimes/Homicide Detectives have worked towards finding the persons who are responsible for killing Erik. The Aurora Police Department is pleased to announce that the perseverance of our Detectives has led to the arrest of three individuals connected with this murder.

The following individuals have been arrested for the listed charges respectively: Barbara Walker (DOB 09/22/1988)- Accessory to First Degree Murder; Raymond Walker Sr. (DOB 01/09/1954)- Accessory to First Degree Murder; and William Ardoin (DOB 05/24/1984)- First Degree Murder (and various other lesser charges).  Photos of the persons arrested are below.

In order to protect the integrity of the prosecution of the case, the Aurora Police Department is unable to provide any further details at this time. Further media inquiries will be referred to the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Barbara Walker (DOB 09/22/1988)Raymond Walker Sr. (DOB 01/09/1954)
         Barbara Walker (DOB 09/22/1988) Raymond Walker Sr. (DOB 01/09/1954)

William Ardoin (DOB 05/24/1984)
      William Ardoin (DOB 05/24/1984)  

Officer Bill Hummel
Public Information Officer
Media Relations Unit
(720) 432-5095


Information previously released on January 3, 2018

On January 3, 2018 at approximately 12:41 P.M. Aurora Police responded to E. 26th Ave. and N. Himalaya Rd. after a deceased body was located by a passerby.  Upon arrival, officers found a deceased adult male in a ditch who was suffering from apparent trauma. 

 

The Aurora Police Department Major Crimes/Homicide Unit responded to the scene and is actively investigating this incident.  The identity of the victim will be released by the Adams Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office pending the positive identification of the victim and the notification of next of kin.

The investigation is active and in its early stages.  There is currently no additional information available for release at this time.  The Aurora Police Department is asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Detective Nick Huber with the Major Crimes/Homicide Unit at (303) 739-6090.  Tipsters can also remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000 by contacting Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-7867.

Officer Bill Hummel
Public Information Officer
Media Relations Unit
(720) 432-5095

 

Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 07, 2018 at 1:48 PM
  
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