Aurora officials release new details about fatal police shooting

The new chief of the Aurora Police Department confirmed Monday that the man fatally shot by police last week was carrying an airsoft gun and claimed the man was there “to intimidate, terrorize the community.” and to threaten”.

The man’s sister-in-law, Kelly Davis, said it was “very telling” when Chief Todd Chamberlain made declarative statements about the man’s intentions during the shooting without releasing the footage.

“To make a statement like that without body-worn camera footage is crazy,” she said.

Aurora police officers responded to multiple calls about a fight in a parking lot in the 11900 block of East 16th Avenue and a man with a gun around 2 p.m. Thursday, Chamberlain said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

Witnesses reported the man tried to steal another man’s car, which sparked the fight. He later walked across the street to a van parked near an apartment complex and pulled out what appeared to be a rifle.

He then began “swinging it in a very hostile and threatening manner,” Chamberlain said.

Two Aurora police officers arrived at the scene and ordered the man to drop the gun, which he then pointed toward the officers, Chamberlain said. An officer fired two shots, hitting the man.

Police arrested him and gave him medical treatment, but he later died in hospital.

The man also allegedly threatened to kill a woman who passed by with a shopping cart, Chamberlain said.

The Adams County Coroner’s Office has not released the man’s identity, but family members identified him as Kory Dillard.

Chamberlain described the officers’ actions as “the least amount of force necessary” to bring the situation under control and speculated about what would have happened if the man had “made a different decision,” such as dropping the gun to let go and raise your hands.

“I’m sure (officials) would like another alternative. I’m sure they wish this suspect had made a different decision,” he said.

At an initial briefing Thursday, Chamberlain described the shooting as an officer-involved shooting of the man. Police officials later clarified that there was no exchange of fire and investigators do not believe the man fired shots from the airsoft rifle.

“Kory is a great person and it is difficult for us to imagine that this happened for a number of reasons,” Davis said.

In a statement, Dillard’s family called the airsoft gun a toy.

“Kory was a free citizen who took care of his toys and he was not under arrest when this happened,” the family said.

Chamberlain said Monday he didn’t know if the airsoft gun could be considered a toy, adding it looked exactly like an AR-15.