Aurora police release video of officer fatally shooting 14-year-old Jor’Dell Richardson (2024)

The Aurora Police Department on Friday released body-worn camera videos showing an officer fatally shooting 14-year-old Jor’Dell Richardson last week after he ran from police who were investigating suspicious activity.

The videos show Officer Roch Gruszeczka and Officer James Snapp responding to a call for suspicious activity on June 1. As Gruszeczka drove up to the scene, he saw teenagers run from a convenience store, and said, “They just shoplifted out of there. I’m going to light them up.”

Gruszeczka and Snapp chased Richardson into an alley and tackled him to the ground, the videos show. After the officers tackled Richardson, the teen told police, “Stop, please, you got me” just seconds before Gruszeczka yelled that there was a gun.

“Gun, gun, let go of the (expletive) gun!” Gruszeczka yelled, the video shows. “I’m going to shoot your ass! Dude, I’m going to shoot you!”

Five seconds later, Gruszeczka shot Richardson once in the stomach as the teenager lay faceup on the ground with the two officers restraining at least one of his hands, the videos show.

Aurora police Chief Art Acevedo at a news conference Friday said the weapon on Richardson was a pellet gun made to replicate a handgun.

It’s unclear in the video whether Richardson was holding the pellet gun when Gruszeczka shot him. Acevedo said it was “ambiguous” where the pellet gun was at the time of the shooting.

“We know without a doubt it was on his person,” the chief said.

While Acevedo showed video of the incident to reporters inside Aurora police headquarters, hundreds of people gathered outside City Hall as Richardson’s family convened their own news conference to call for justice and transparency.

Richardson was surrendering when he was shot, family attorney Siddhartha Rathod said. He criticized police for waiting more than a week to say that the weapon was a pellet gun after previously saying Richardson had a firearm.

“We are here to demand accountability because justice will never come,” Rathod said.

Richardson’s mother, Laurie Littlejohn, said her son’s killing has ruined her life. Richardson had just graduated eighth grade.

“He was the light of our house,” Littlejohn said. “For a week now, our light has dimmed low.”

According to police accounts, officers on June 1 chased a group of teenagers who ran from a convenience store near the intersection of East Eighth Avenue and Dayton Street on suspicion of shoplifting.

A gang sergeant on patrol noticed the group and asked for backup because the teens were wearing medical masks and sweatshirts. The gang sergeant radioed for backup after saying: “Five dudes, black juveniles, all masked up came from the alley and started running toward the strip mall.”

He later added that it looked like the group was scoping out businesses in the strip mall.

After the shooting, investigators determined that at least one of the teenagers threatened the convenience store clerk with a gun and they took several vape canisters, according to police. Acevedo said Richardson was the teenager who threatened the clerk. Police took two other teens into custody and others fled in a car that police said was stolen.

After Gruszeczka shot Richardson, the officers rendered medical aid until paramedics arrived four minutes later. As Gruszeczka walked away from the scene, he said a prayer for Richardson, the videos show.

Richardson’s father, Jameco Richardson, called for Acevedo’s resignation Friday. He was insulted by the fact that Acevedo told family members that Richardson didn’t suffer before he died. Acevedo, during his news conference, confirmed that he told the family that.

“My son died in the dirty alley, scared,” Jameco Richardson said.

Acevedo said he was not aware of any video that more clearly showed the struggle between Richardson and the officers, but said he did not know what evidence the 18th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team had collected in its investigation of the shooting.

Both Gruszeczka and Snapp gave their accounts to investigators, but Acevedo declined to describe those accounts.

Representatives of of Richardson’s family and their lawyers watched the footage at Aurora police headquarters Tuesday afternoon. State law mandates that law enforcement agencies wait 72 hours after showing body camera footage to the family of someone killed by police before releasing it publicly. Acevedo said he released the footage at his first opportunity.

After the news conference, hundreds marched around Aurora City Hall demanding justice for Richardson. Rathod called on police to release all the videos and evidence collected about the shooting.

At the end of the family news conference, the crowd chanted for Jor’Dell and bowed heads in prayer.

After the prayer, the only sound caught on the microphone was Richarson’s family quietly sobbing.

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