Response to Chief Chamberlain’s Remarks on the Killing of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield

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For Immediate Release
Date: 09/02/2025

Response to Chief Todd Chamberlain’s Remarks on the Killing of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield

Aurora, CO – The Epitome of Black Excellence and Partnership issues this statement in response to the press update by Chief Todd Chamberlain of the Aurora Police Department regarding the officer-involved shooting (modern-day lynching) of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield.

On the Weapon Allegation

Chief Chamberlain suggests that Mr. Belt-Stubblefield’s alleged possession of a weapon is incriminating. We see the opposite: if Mr. Belt-Stubblefield indeed discarded a weapon into a grass-covered area, that is an act of DISARMING himself, not threatening the officer or the community. To claim otherwise is to twist fact into fiction in order to justify state violence.

On the Words to His Son

Chamberlain further claims Mr. Belt-Stubblefield told his son to “Get the shit,” implying this referred to retrieving a discarded gun. That is reckless speculation masquerading as fact. In the same press update, Chamberlain admitted he was “not in [Mr. Belt-Stubblefield’s] mind,” yet he presumed to speak with certainty about Mr. Belt-Stubblefield’s intentions. That is not transparency. That is fabrication. And it impeaches Chamberlain’s credibility as a leader.

On the Assault by Officer Neely

Officer Neely punched Mr. Belt-Stubblefield in the face. One man striking another is not a “fight.” It is an assault. To call this “de-escalation” is absurd, insulting, and dangerous. If officers are being trained that a closed fist to the face is de-escalation, then Aurora is not training peacekeepers; it is training aggressors.

On “De-escalation” Expectations

Chief Chamberlain framed Mr. Belt-Stubblefield’s lack of compliance as a failure to respond appropriately to Officer Neely’s so-called de-escalation. But how is the community expected to know what officers define as compliance? We are not trained in their ever-shifting expectations. To demand compliance with unwritten rules while wielding lethal force is unjust and indefensible.

On Lessons Ignored

When asked about lessons learned from the shooting of Rashaud Johnson, an eerily similar killing of another unarmed Black man, Chamberlain deflected, citing instead the number of killings this year. Three deaths in 2025. Is this what the Aurora Police considers a metric of progress? Deflection is dishonesty. What number of Black lives lost will finally be too many?

On Weaponizing Mr. Belt-Stubblefield’s Past

Chamberlain referenced Mr. Belt-Stubblefield’s prior police involvement, suggesting that his history should have made him “understand” police engagement. This is not only irrelevant but a deliberate attempt to smear a victim. Yet when speaking of Officer Neely’s past, Chamberlain softened his language, offering pacification. The double standard could not be clearer.

On “Abnormal” Behavior and Selective Restraint

Chamberlain described Mr. Belt-Stubblefield’s behavior as “abnormal,” insinuating it justified deadly force. But when a non-Black individual recently stole an APD squad car—undeniably abnormal behavior—restraint was exercised, and that individual lived. Once again, restraint is not applied equally in Aurora. It is selectively reserved for those who are not Black.

On Community Trust

Chief Chamberlain called community trust “fragile.” The truth is, there is no trust. Aurora Police have squandered it through repeated acts of violence, dishonesty, and disrespect. What remains is not fragility, it is a void.

Our Call

We call on the Aurora City Council—whose majority, including Mayor Mike Coffman, through their silence and inaction have aligned themselves with this pattern of abuse—to step into true leadership. The death of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield demands accountability, systemic reform, and the courage to confront racism within the Aurora Police Department.

Aurora is not broken because its people have failed. Aurora is broken because its leaders have refused to act.

We also recognize the unique weight of our position. Our CEO was present as a direct witness to this tragedy, involved in the accident that unfolded just before Mr. Belt-Stubblefield’s death. We are intentional in naming this—not to conflate roles, but to clarify them. Her experience grounds our work in lived truth, while our organizational response remains focused, strategic, and committed to the larger fight for justice. It is likely because of our unique position and defined purpose that Chief Todd Chamberlain chose not to include comments from MiDian Shofner, even as he cited alleged commentary from other witnesses on scene. It is not lost on us that he reserved affirming statements only for the narratives that served his agenda. That separation strengthens our voice. We speak not only with grief and proximity, but with clarity, purpose, and the resolve to restore, elevate, acknowledge, and protect our community—even as the systems around us fail to do so.

We say, with expectancy, NO MORE! Our team stands with Mr. Belt-Stubblefield’s family, his son, who witnessed this unthinkable outcome, and every community member who knows that justice delayed is justice denied.

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