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  <channel>
    <title>DACAC &amp;mdash; Fight Back! News</title>
    <link>https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DACAC</link>
    <description>News and Views from the People&#39;s Struggle</description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:39:52 +0000</pubDate>
    <image>
      <url>https://i.snap.as/RZCOEKyz.png</url>
      <title>DACAC &amp;mdash; Fight Back! News</title>
      <link>https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DACAC</link>
    </image>
    <item>
      <title>Aurora community demands DA Brian Mason prosecute killer cops</title>
      <link>https://fightbacknews.org/aurora-community-demands-da-brian-mason-prosecute-killer-cops?pk_campaign=rss-feed</link>
      <description>&lt;![CDATA[Colorado protest demands prosecution of killer cops.&#xA;&#xA;Westminster, CO - On Saturday, October 11, members of the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) gathered in the neighborhood of 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason to speak against his recent decision to not prosecute the cops responsible for the death of Kory Dillard last year. The group also spoke about two separate cases that the district attorney’s office is overseeing. &#xA;&#xA;!--more--&#xA;&#xA;Te’Erica Mosley, a disabled Black woman, is being charged with assault for recording a police officer as he brutalized another person. She was hospitalized during the incident. The other case involves a grieving 16-year old who is being tried as an adult for a nonviolent crime. The minor’s best friend, 14-year-old Jor’Dell Richardson, was slain by the Aurora Police Department two years ago.&#xA;&#xA;Anna Harris, emcee of the event, pointed out that each of these cases took place within the 17th Judicial District in Aurora, not Westminster where the district attorney lives. “We’re going to do some chants and let the neighborhood know what he’s really out here doing behind his fake smile and his nice house and his suburban lifestyle,” Harris said, “His job directly affects our lives and our community in Aurora, which we are not in. Clearly.” &#xA;&#xA;The chants on the march included slogans like “DA Mason you can’t hide. You stand with cops, not those who died!” and “Te’Erica Mosley should do no time, recording the police is not a crime!” Once the organizers were in front of DA Mason’s home, they took turns speaking. &#xA;&#xA;“We want you to know, DA Mason, and we want your neighbors to know that you are an elected official,” said Jeff McFarland of DACAC, “Your nice house and three garages and your nice little patio all got paid for by a community that you say you represent, that you don’t even have the gall to live in! Shame!” &#xA;&#xA;The event drew the attention of some onlookers, most likely DA Mason’s neighbors. Police arrived after DACAC began their return march. The chants continued until the group returned to their stating point, where they displayed a banner with their demands at a busy intersection.&#xA;&#xA;Nels Pine used the megaphone to reiterate the demands stating, “You have a neighbor here who is content to let killer cops loose. They’re letting them loose in our neighborhood and he’s okay with that because he doesn’t live there. It’s not his problem,” Pine said, “But when the killer cops are running loose in our neighborhood in District 17 where the police are, it’s a very real problem for our community. To the point where there are killings every month or so.”&#xA;&#xA;#WestminsterCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #DACAC&#xA;&#xA;div id=&#34;sharingbuttons.io&#34;/div]]&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://i.snap.as/yR3dH5Oi.jpg" alt="Colorado protest demands prosecution of killer cops." title="Colorado protest demands prosecution of killer cops. | Fight Back! News"/></p>

<p>Westminster, CO – On Saturday, October 11, members of the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) gathered in the neighborhood of 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason to speak against his recent decision to not prosecute the cops responsible for the death of Kory Dillard last year. The group also spoke about two separate cases that the district attorney’s office is overseeing.</p>



<p>Te’Erica Mosley, a disabled Black woman, is being charged with assault for recording a police officer as he brutalized another person. She was hospitalized during the incident. The other case involves a grieving 16-year old who is being tried as an adult for a nonviolent crime. The minor’s best friend, 14-year-old Jor’Dell Richardson, was slain by the Aurora Police Department two years ago.</p>

<p>Anna Harris, emcee of the event, pointed out that each of these cases took place within the 17th Judicial District in Aurora, not Westminster where the district attorney lives. “We’re going to do some chants and let the neighborhood know what he’s really out here doing behind his fake smile and his nice house and his suburban lifestyle,” Harris said, “His job directly affects our lives and our community in Aurora, which we are not in. Clearly.”</p>

<p>The chants on the march included slogans like “DA Mason you can’t hide. You stand with cops, not those who died!” and “Te’Erica Mosley should do no time, recording the police is not a crime!” Once the organizers were in front of DA Mason’s home, they took turns speaking.</p>

<p>“We want you to know, DA Mason, and we want your neighbors to know that you are an elected official,” said Jeff McFarland of DACAC, “Your nice house and three garages and your nice little patio all got paid for by a community that you say you represent, that you don’t even have the gall to live in! Shame!”</p>

<p>The event drew the attention of some onlookers, most likely DA Mason’s neighbors. Police arrived after DACAC began their return march. The chants continued until the group returned to their stating point, where they displayed a banner with their demands at a busy intersection.</p>

<p>Nels Pine used the megaphone to reiterate the demands stating, “You have a neighbor here who is content to let killer cops loose. They’re letting them loose in our neighborhood and he’s okay with that because he doesn’t live there. It’s not his problem,” Pine said, “But when the killer cops are running loose in our neighborhood in District 17 where the police are, it’s a very real problem for our community. To the point where there are killings every month or so.”</p>

<p><a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:WestminsterCO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">WestminsterCO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:CO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">CO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:InJusticeSystem" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">InJusticeSystem</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DACAC" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">DACAC</span></a></p>

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      <guid>https://fightbacknews.org/aurora-community-demands-da-brian-mason-prosecute-killer-cops</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 19 Oct 2025 00:44:31 +0000</pubDate>
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      <title>Community vigil held one year after police killing of Kory Dillard</title>
      <link>https://fightbacknews.org/community-vigil-held-one-year-after-police-killing-of-kory-dillard?pk_campaign=rss-feed</link>
      <description>&lt;![CDATA[Aurora, Colorado candlelight vigil on the one-year anniversary of the police killing of Kory Dillard.&#xA;&#xA;Aurora, CO - On Friday, October 3, family, friends and members of the community gathered for a candlelight vigil to remember the life of Kory Dillard one year after his death. The vigil took place where Dillard was killed by officers Kevin Rodier and Ryan Shamblin of the Aurora Police Department. &#xA;&#xA;!--more--&#xA;&#xA;Around 50 members of the community joined the Dillard family and the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) for an evening of remembrance as members of his family shared memories and spoke of their ongoing struggle in their fight for justice.&#xA;&#xA;“The meeting with the DA didn’t go as planned,” said Anna Harris, Dillard’s life-partner, “But everybody being out here is proof that Kory’s life was something to celebrate.” Earlier that day, Dillard’s family and representatives of DACAC had a meeting with 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason, in which he disclosed that he would not be pursuing criminal charges on the police that murdered Dillard.&#xA;&#xA;This decision, although not surprising, was a heavy blow, but the community remains undeterred. “We will continue to come out in order to stop these corrupt cops from killing our family members,” said Ava Dillard, Kory’s mother, “Not just for me, but for all the other cousins, mothers, aunts who also had dealings with these corrupt cops.”&#xA;&#xA;Police-involved killings in the district, like that of Kory Dillard, are generally investigated by the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), a so-called independent group of investigative personnel supplied by neighboring police departments. Dillard’s case was investigated by the Westminster Police Department. &#xA;&#xA;“The people who have been investigating this police department – it’s not the Aurora Police Department. It’s the Westminster Police Department. It’s the Commerce City Police Department, and Adams County Sheriff’s Department. So don’t worry, it’s not these police, it’s their colleagues one city over,” said Nels Pine of DACAC, “The same people they’d be investigating if they were on the CIRT team.”&#xA;&#xA;Looking ahead, the Dillard family and DACAC will continue to file complaints and build a database of police officers and their crimes. Together, the goal will be to gain truly independent investigations into police crimes through community control of the police and the establishment of a democratically elected civilian police accountability council to replace CIRT.&#xA;&#xA;#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #KillerCops #DACAC&#xA;&#xA;div id=&#34;sharingbuttons.io&#34;/div]]&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://i.snap.as/YVmUSEfC.jpg" alt="Aurora, Colorado candlelight vigil on the one-year anniversary of the police killing of Kory Dillard." title="Aurora, Colorado candlelight vigil on the one-year anniversary of the police killing of Kosry Dillard. | Fight Back! New"/></p>

<p>Aurora, CO – On Friday, October 3, family, friends and members of the community gathered for a candlelight vigil to remember the life of Kory Dillard one year after his death. The vigil took place where Dillard was killed by officers Kevin Rodier and Ryan Shamblin of the Aurora Police Department.</p>



<p>Around 50 members of the community joined the Dillard family and the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) for an evening of remembrance as members of his family shared memories and spoke of their ongoing struggle in their fight for justice.</p>

<p>“The meeting with the DA didn’t go as planned,” said Anna Harris, Dillard’s life-partner, “But everybody being out here is proof that Kory’s life was something to celebrate.” Earlier that day, Dillard’s family and representatives of DACAC had a meeting with 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason, in which he disclosed that he would not be pursuing criminal charges on the police that murdered Dillard.</p>

<p>This decision, although not surprising, was a heavy blow, but the community remains undeterred. “We will continue to come out in order to stop these corrupt cops from killing our family members,” said Ava Dillard, Kory’s mother, “Not just for me, but for all the other cousins, mothers, aunts who also had dealings with these corrupt cops.”</p>

<p>Police-involved killings in the district, like that of Kory Dillard, are generally investigated by the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), a so-called independent group of investigative personnel supplied by neighboring police departments. Dillard’s case was investigated by the Westminster Police Department.</p>

<p>“The people who have been investigating this police department – it’s not the Aurora Police Department. It’s the Westminster Police Department. It’s the Commerce City Police Department, and Adams County Sheriff’s Department. So don’t worry, it’s not these police, it’s their colleagues one city over,” said Nels Pine of DACAC, “The same people they’d be investigating if they were on the CIRT team.”</p>

<p>Looking ahead, the Dillard family and DACAC will continue to file complaints and build a database of police officers and their crimes. Together, the goal will be to gain truly independent investigations into police crimes through community control of the police and the establishment of a democratically elected civilian police accountability council to replace CIRT.</p>

<p><a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:AuroraCO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">AuroraCO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:CO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">CO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:InJusticeSystem" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">InJusticeSystem</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:PoliceCrimes" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">PoliceCrimes</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:KillerCops" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">KillerCops</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DACAC" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">DACAC</span></a></p>

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      <guid>https://fightbacknews.org/community-vigil-held-one-year-after-police-killing-of-kory-dillard</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:04:50 +0000</pubDate>
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      <title>Aurora, CO: DA meets with community group over police killing of Kory Dillard, lets police go free</title>
      <link>https://fightbacknews.org/aurora-co-da-meets-with-community-group-over-police-killing-of-kory-dillard?pk_campaign=rss-feed</link>
      <description>&lt;![CDATA[Press conference and rally demands justice for Kory Dillard.&#xA;&#xA;Aurora, CO - On Friday, October 3, the family of Kory Dillard and representatives of Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) met with the 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason. The day marked one year since the death of Dillard at the hands of Kevin Rodier and Ryan Shamblin of the Aurora Police Department, and the group specifically sought to know if the district attorney had any plans to prosecute them criminally. &#xA;&#xA;!--more--&#xA;&#xA;The meeting was hard won and the DA only agreed to meet after a phone blast, a fax-in, and daily calls to the DA’s office by members of DACAC. The meeting was accompanied by a rally and press conference outside the office.&#xA;&#xA;With every police killing in his district since he was elected, DA Mason has chosen to let the cops go free. This was met by outrage at the rally outside the office. &#xA;&#xA;“To see the injustice continue by the hands of Brian Mason is not something that the youth of this city want. This is not something that the people of this city want,” said Khalid Hamu of Students for a Democratic Society, “How are we supposed to feel safe if the police can pull up in seven seconds and kill us? That’s a shame.”&#xA;&#xA;The district attorney repeatedly reaffirmed that he was operating “under the law,” and that he had to only consider the perspective of the police officers. If they felt “scared for their lives,” under Colorado law, they are allowed to kill civilians. District Attorney Brian Mason made his stance clear, and, yet, others who have seen the same footage as Mason disagree.&#xA;&#xA;“There’s too many discrepancies in the case itself, in the press brief, and in Brian Mason’s piss-poor excuse of a justification for Kory’s murder. Those officers broke several directives and laws before they even exited their vehicle,” said Anna Harris, member of DACAC and Dillard’s life partner.&#xA;&#xA;Harris made it clear that, though Mason’s decision is apparently final, their fight for justice is just beginning, saying, “He said take it up with the APD. That’s fine. We will take it up with the APD. Then we’re going to take it up with your higher-ups. We’re going to make sure that your next campaign makes it so nobody wants to be affiliated with your vote, because you’re on our list. Shamblin’s on our list. Rodier’s on our list. And we will not stop.”&#xA;&#xA;#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #PoliceCrimes #DACAC&#xA;&#xA;div id=&#34;sharingbuttons.io&#34;/div]]&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://i.snap.as/woYI7svx.jpg" alt="Press conference and rally demands justice for Kory Dillard." title="Press conference and rally demands justice for Kory Dillard. | Fight Back! News"/></p>

<p>Aurora, CO – On Friday, October 3, the family of Kory Dillard and representatives of Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) met with the 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason. The day marked one year since the death of Dillard at the hands of Kevin Rodier and Ryan Shamblin of the Aurora Police Department, and the group specifically sought to know if the district attorney had any plans to prosecute them criminally.</p>



<p>The meeting was hard won and the DA only agreed to meet after a phone blast, a fax-in, and daily calls to the DA’s office by members of DACAC. The meeting was accompanied by a rally and press conference outside the office.</p>

<p>With every police killing in his district since he was elected, DA Mason has chosen to let the cops go free. This was met by outrage at the rally outside the office.</p>

<p>“To see the injustice continue by the hands of Brian Mason is not something that the youth of this city want. This is not something that the people of this city want,” said Khalid Hamu of Students for a Democratic Society, “How are we supposed to feel safe if the police can pull up in seven seconds and kill us? That’s a shame.”</p>

<p>The district attorney repeatedly reaffirmed that he was operating “under the law,” and that he had to only consider the perspective of the police officers. If they felt “scared for their lives,” under Colorado law, they are allowed to kill civilians. District Attorney Brian Mason made his stance clear, and, yet, others who have seen the same footage as Mason disagree.</p>

<p>“There’s too many discrepancies in the case itself, in the press brief, and in Brian Mason’s piss-poor excuse of a justification for Kory’s murder. Those officers broke several directives and laws before they even exited their vehicle,” said Anna Harris, member of DACAC and Dillard’s life partner.</p>

<p>Harris made it clear that, though Mason’s decision is apparently final, their fight for justice is just beginning, saying, “He said take it up with the APD. That’s fine. We will take it up with the APD. Then we’re going to take it up with your higher-ups. We’re going to make sure that your next campaign makes it so nobody wants to be affiliated with your vote, because you’re on our list. Shamblin’s on our list. Rodier’s on our list. And we will not stop.”</p>

<p><a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:AuroraCO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">AuroraCO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:CO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">CO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:InJusticeSystem" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">InJusticeSystem</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:KillerCops" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">KillerCops</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:PoliceCrimes" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">PoliceCrimes</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DACAC" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">DACAC</span></a></p>

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      <guid>https://fightbacknews.org/aurora-co-da-meets-with-community-group-over-police-killing-of-kory-dillard</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2025 22:49:45 +0000</pubDate>
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      <title>Aurora fundraiser for Dillard family one year after police killing</title>
      <link>https://fightbacknews.org/aurora-fundraiser-for-dillard-family-one-year-after-police-killing?pk_campaign=rss-feed</link>
      <description>&lt;![CDATA[&#xA;&#xA;Aurora, CO – On August 16, the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) and community supporters gathered at Firehouse Station 2 for an all-ages community fair. The event called “FUNd the Fight,” raised funds for the Dillard family, who has been facing financial hardship while simultaneously fighting for justice for Kory Dillard. &#xA;&#xA;!--more--&#xA;&#xA;Members from local organizations like Denver Alliance for Street Health Response (DASHR) and Denver Freedom Road Socialist Organization showed up to support the Dillard family’s fight.&#xA;&#xA;To those who knew him, Kory Dillard was a father, a friend, and a drone enthusiast. Ryan Stitzel, chair of DACAC, said, “This family, they&#39;ve lost a breadwinner. They&#39;re suffering some of the most unimaginable horrors that they can suffer as a family, and all because of the Aurora Police Department.”&#xA;&#xA;On October 3, 2024, Kory Dillard was shot and killed by APD after an unverified 911 call reported a “violent carjacking.” Video obtained by DACAC shows Dillard defending himself from a shirtless assailant that followed him home and attempted to hit him on the head with a large rock.&#xA;&#xA;Later in the video Dillard can be seen having retrieved an airsoft rifle to brandish and scare the assailant away. Aurora police officers Kevin Rhodier and Ryan Shamblin then arrive on scene, exit their vehicle, and in just seven and a half seconds shoot and kill Kory Dillard.&#xA;&#xA;Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain claims that the airsoft rifle “looks exactly the same as an authentic AR-15.” While the APD believes this justifies Dillard’s death, there are inconsistencies with the bodycam footage and 911 call which tells a different story. Meanwhile, the original 911 caller that brought police to the scene was in fact the assailant himself.&#xA;&#xA;Kory Dillard’s right to self-defense, a fair trial and his right to bear arms under the Second Amendment were all violated the moment that two white APD officers made the decision to end Dillard’s life.&#xA;&#xA;Almost 11 months later, Dillard’s family is still reeling and working with community support to continue the fight. A fundraiser by the DACAC’s “FUNd the Fight” brought the community together for an afternoon of poetry, music, and activities. Activities included carnival games for prizes, temporary tattoos, water guns, a bake sale, and a piñata with 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason’s face on it. &#xA;&#xA;Mason has recently disclosed to the Dillard family his intention of letting the cops who killed Kory off the hook, having only answered the officers’ actions with paid leave so far. DA Mason has the power to charge APD officers for their crimes but has not done so.&#xA;&#xA;Miles Thompson, a member of DACAC, said, “I was brought to tears earlier in the day during the poetry section of the event.” He continued, “I was brought to tears because not only did I see myself in each person that was mentioned, but I saw centuries of the fight for Black liberation personified. Kory Dillard, like the others, did not ask to be martyred. We should choose to remember them not just in their final moments before death, but the years of life that they shared touching the lives of others in their families, friend circles and communities.”&#xA;&#xA;In a time of struggle, there was plenty of fun to go around. DACAC was able to raise almost $800 for the Dillard family, with the hope of raising more in the coming months. Jeff McFarland, another DACAC member, said of the event, “I think it was a great testament to everyone&#39;s creativity and tenacity, and I really think it demonstrated what we&#39;re capable of as a group.&#34;&#xA;&#xA;The fight for one is a fight for all, and DACAC will not stop its fight until there is justice for Kory Dillard and all other victims of police violence. To support the Dillard family, readers are encouraged to visit DACAC.net and donate to the Dillard family’s fight or consider becoming a monthly supporter of DACAC’s work.&#xA;&#xA;#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #PoliceBrutality #KillerCops #DACAC #NAARPR&#xA;&#xA;div id=&#34;sharingbuttons.io&#34;/div]]&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://i.snap.as/3YCxl04n.jpg" alt=""/></p>

<p>Aurora, CO – On August 16, the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) and community supporters gathered at Firehouse Station 2 for an all-ages community fair. The event called “FUNd the Fight,” raised funds for the Dillard family, who has been facing financial hardship while simultaneously fighting for justice for Kory Dillard.</p>



<p>Members from local organizations like Denver Alliance for Street Health Response (DASHR) and Denver Freedom Road Socialist Organization showed up to support the Dillard family’s fight.</p>

<p>To those who knew him, Kory Dillard was a father, a friend, and a drone enthusiast. Ryan Stitzel, chair of DACAC, said, “This family, they&#39;ve lost a breadwinner. They&#39;re suffering some of the most unimaginable horrors that they can suffer as a family, and all because of the Aurora Police Department.”</p>

<p>On October 3, 2024, Kory Dillard was shot and killed by APD after an unverified 911 call reported a “violent carjacking.” Video obtained by DACAC shows Dillard defending himself from a shirtless assailant that followed him home and attempted to hit him on the head with a large rock.</p>

<p>Later in the video Dillard can be seen having retrieved an airsoft rifle to brandish and scare the assailant away. Aurora police officers Kevin Rhodier and Ryan Shamblin then arrive on scene, exit their vehicle, and in just seven and a half seconds shoot and kill Kory Dillard.</p>

<p>Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain claims that the airsoft rifle “looks exactly the same as an authentic AR-15.” While the APD believes this justifies Dillard’s death, there are inconsistencies with the bodycam footage and 911 call which tells a different story. Meanwhile, the original 911 caller that brought police to the scene was in fact the assailant himself.</p>

<p>Kory Dillard’s right to self-defense, a fair trial and his right to bear arms under the Second Amendment were all violated the moment that two white APD officers made the decision to end Dillard’s life.</p>

<p>Almost 11 months later, Dillard’s family is still reeling and working with community support to continue the fight. A fundraiser by the DACAC’s “FUNd the Fight” brought the community together for an afternoon of poetry, music, and activities. Activities included carnival games for prizes, temporary tattoos, water guns, a bake sale, and a piñata with 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason’s face on it.</p>

<p>Mason has recently disclosed to the Dillard family his intention of letting the cops who killed Kory off the hook, having only answered the officers’ actions with paid leave so far. DA Mason has the power to charge APD officers for their crimes but has not done so.</p>

<p>Miles Thompson, a member of DACAC, said, “I was brought to tears earlier in the day during the poetry section of the event.” He continued, “I was brought to tears because not only did I see myself in each person that was mentioned, but I saw centuries of the fight for Black liberation personified. Kory Dillard, like the others, did not ask to be martyred. We should choose to remember them not just in their final moments before death, but the years of life that they shared touching the lives of others in their families, friend circles and communities.”</p>

<p>In a time of struggle, there was plenty of fun to go around. DACAC was able to raise almost $800 for the Dillard family, with the hope of raising more in the coming months. Jeff McFarland, another DACAC member, said of the event, “I think it was a great testament to everyone&#39;s creativity and tenacity, and I really think it demonstrated what we&#39;re capable of as a group.”</p>

<p>The fight for one is a fight for all, and DACAC will not stop its fight until there is justice for Kory Dillard and all other victims of police violence. To support the Dillard family, readers are encouraged to visit DACAC.net and donate to the Dillard family’s fight or consider becoming a monthly supporter of DACAC’s work.</p>

<p><a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:AuroraCO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">AuroraCO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:CO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">CO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:InJusticeSystem" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">InJusticeSystem</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:PoliceCrimes" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">PoliceCrimes</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:PoliceBrutality" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">PoliceBrutality</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:KillerCops" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">KillerCops</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DACAC" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">DACAC</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:NAARPR" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">NAARPR</span></a></p>

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      <guid>https://fightbacknews.org/aurora-fundraiser-for-dillard-family-one-year-after-police-killing</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 22 Aug 2025 17:04:02 +0000</pubDate>
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      <title>Aurora, CO protests killing of Black man by police</title>
      <link>https://fightbacknews.org/aurora-co-protests-killing-of-black-man-by-police?pk_campaign=rss-feed</link>
      <description>&lt;![CDATA[Protest against police killing in Aurora, Colorado.&#xA;&#xA;Aurora CO – On Saturday, May 17, a dozen community members gathered in front of the Aurora Police Department Headquarters for an emergency rally to protest the killing of another Black man by the APD, and the subsequent cover-up that is still unfolding.&#xA;&#xA;It was on May 12, Monday evening, that the APD received calls about a “suspicious person” wandering a private Park-and-Ride near the Denver International Airport. &#xA;&#xA;!--more--&#xA;&#xA;The chief of APD, Todd Chamberlain, claims that the man was tased after refusing commands and starting a fight with the officer who was first on the scene. The victim has not been publicly identified, and Chamberlain’s retelling of events leaves one with more questions than answers. &#xA;&#xA;“APD shoots to kill then hides the proof! We demand to see the truth!” was printed on fliers advertising the rally and echoed in protesters’ chants toward the APD headquarters. The Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) organized the event with the Denver Alliance for Street Health Response (DASHR) and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). &#xA;&#xA;Anna Harris, a member of DACAC and the partner of Kory Dillard, a Black veteran and father who was killed by the APD last October, spoke out against the lack of information released by the department saying, “If these killings are justified, why lie? Why hide the truth? Why bury the videos?” Harris continued, “Let me be clear, Aurora has a police brutality crisis, and if our elected leaders won’t name it, I will. There are dangerous people with badges walking our streets, terrorizing our communities, and it’s time to put it to an end.”&#xA;&#xA;Organizers with DACAC spoke about how many of the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) and Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA) requests they were submitting were being refused, delayed and given the runaround. &#xA;&#xA;Tristen Hurst, a leader in DACAC said, “We have laws like CORA and CCJRA because Coloradans demand accountability, but let’s be clear; APD treats these laws like a joke.” Hurst also said, “Records about the brutalization of Te’Erica Mosley, a woman brave enough to film the APD’s crimes are being lost in bureaucratic limbo to keep the truth hidden. The family of Kory Dillard were quoted more than $9000 just to receive the full body camera footage of his killing – $9000 to grieve in peace. Shame!” &#xA;&#xA;One demand in particular rang out repetitively at the action in the form of a chant, “Free the footage now!” APD has stymied the release of footage around their killings repeatedly over the course of the last year, working in the meantime to create narratives in the press that attempt to justify their violations of the constitutional rights to due process.&#xA;&#xA;Nels Pine, another leader in DACAC spoke, saying, “These cops have another thing coming if they think their brutality is going to stop this. These actions of theirs will just light a fire under the people and the people will fan the flames and come back with a fight back. Pine continued, saying, “What might seem like a smaller action here today is in fact a spark. It’s a spark taking place on dry prairie grass.”&#xA;&#xA;One of the groups present, DASHR, has been at the forefront of fighting for and winning alternatives to police response. In Denver, after the 2020 George Floyd protests, they won the establishment of the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) Program, which responds to calls related to mental health distress, poverty, homelessness, and substance misuse, among other needs. A similar program in Aurora was also established called the Aurora Mobile Response Team. Vinnie Cervantes, one of the founders of DASHR explained, “As soon as they hired city personnel to run that program, they kicked us out.”&#xA;&#xA;Cervantes went on saying, “This city continues to be violent towards our community, but also continues to show resentment towards people that want more out of their public officials, out of their police department, and out of their city government.” Cervantes continued, “Too often police harm our communities. They hurt our community. They destroy our community, and they refuse to have any level of accountability in doing so. They will not change as a system or as a department unless they’re afraid of what we’ll do in response.”&#xA;&#xA;The fight against police crime in Denver and Aurora has faced challenges and attempts by those in power to dismantle community alternatives. It is clear those in the fight are not slowing down.&#xA;&#xA;Khalid Hamu, a member of the FRSO, said, “We need to extend the democracy that was promised to the people in this country so that Black people get to determine who gets to patrol their neighborhoods, how much money they’re given, and who gets to be on the police force.” Hamu continued, “Let us continue the struggle of the Black Panthers, because we do not forget them. Let us continue the struggle of all those who have been killed in the Black Liberation struggle. We say community control of the police now!”&#xA;&#xA;#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #KillerCops #PoliceBrutality #FRSO #DACAC&#xA;&#xA;div id=&#34;sharingbuttons.io&#34;/div]]&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://i.snap.as/wl1U08Xb.jpeg" alt="Protest against police killing in Aurora, Colorado." title="Protest against police killing in Aurora, Colorado.  | Photo: Fight Back! News"/></p>

<p>Aurora CO – On Saturday, May 17, a dozen community members gathered in front of the Aurora Police Department Headquarters for an emergency rally to protest the killing of another Black man by the APD, and the subsequent cover-up that is still unfolding.</p>

<p>It was on May 12, Monday evening, that the APD received calls about a “suspicious person” wandering a private Park-and-Ride near the Denver International Airport.</p>



<p>The chief of APD, Todd Chamberlain, claims that the man was tased after refusing commands and starting a fight with the officer who was first on the scene. The victim has not been publicly identified, and Chamberlain’s retelling of events leaves one with more questions than answers.</p>

<p>“APD shoots to kill then hides the proof! We demand to see the truth!” was printed on fliers advertising the rally and echoed in protesters’ chants toward the APD headquarters. The Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) organized the event with the Denver Alliance for Street Health Response (DASHR) and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).</p>

<p>Anna Harris, a member of DACAC and the partner of Kory Dillard, a Black veteran and father who was killed by the APD last October, spoke out against the lack of information released by the department saying, “If these killings are justified, why lie? Why hide the truth? Why bury the videos?” Harris continued, “Let me be clear, Aurora has a police brutality crisis, and if our elected leaders won’t name it, I will. There are dangerous people with badges walking our streets, terrorizing our communities, and it’s time to put it to an end.”</p>

<p>Organizers with DACAC spoke about how many of the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) and Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA) requests they were submitting were being refused, delayed and given the runaround.</p>

<p>Tristen Hurst, a leader in DACAC said, “We have laws like CORA and CCJRA because Coloradans demand accountability, but let’s be clear; APD treats these laws like a joke.” Hurst also said, “Records about the brutalization of Te’Erica Mosley, a woman brave enough to film the APD’s crimes are being lost in bureaucratic limbo to keep the truth hidden. The family of Kory Dillard were quoted more than $9000 just to receive the full body camera footage of his killing – $9000 to grieve in peace. Shame!”</p>

<p>One demand in particular rang out repetitively at the action in the form of a chant, “Free the footage now!” APD has stymied the release of footage around their killings repeatedly over the course of the last year, working in the meantime to create narratives in the press that attempt to justify their violations of the constitutional rights to due process.</p>

<p>Nels Pine, another leader in DACAC spoke, saying, “These cops have another thing coming if they think their brutality is going to stop this. These actions of theirs will just light a fire under the people and the people will fan the flames and come back with a fight back. Pine continued, saying, “What might seem like a smaller action here today is in fact a spark. It’s a spark taking place on dry prairie grass.”</p>

<p>One of the groups present, DASHR, has been at the forefront of fighting for and winning alternatives to police response. In Denver, after the 2020 George Floyd protests, they won the establishment of the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) Program, which responds to calls related to mental health distress, poverty, homelessness, and substance misuse, among other needs. A similar program in Aurora was also established called the Aurora Mobile Response Team. Vinnie Cervantes, one of the founders of DASHR explained, “As soon as they hired city personnel to run that program, they kicked us out.”</p>

<p>Cervantes went on saying, “This city continues to be violent towards our community, but also continues to show resentment towards people that want more out of their public officials, out of their police department, and out of their city government.” Cervantes continued, “Too often police harm our communities. They hurt our community. They destroy our community, and they refuse to have any level of accountability in doing so. They will not change as a system or as a department unless they’re afraid of what we’ll do in response.”</p>

<p>The fight against police crime in Denver and Aurora has faced challenges and attempts by those in power to dismantle community alternatives. It is clear those in the fight are not slowing down.</p>

<p>Khalid Hamu, a member of the FRSO, said, “We need to extend the democracy that was promised to the people in this country so that Black people get to determine who gets to patrol their neighborhoods, how much money they’re given, and who gets to be on the police force.” Hamu continued, “Let us continue the struggle of the Black Panthers, because we do not forget them. Let us continue the struggle of all those who have been killed in the Black Liberation struggle. We say community control of the police now!”</p>

<p><a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:AuroraCO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">AuroraCO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:CO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">CO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:InJusticeSystem" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">InJusticeSystem</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:PoliceCrimes" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">PoliceCrimes</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:KillerCops" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">KillerCops</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:PoliceBrutality" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">PoliceBrutality</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:FRSO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">FRSO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DACAC" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">DACAC</span></a></p>

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      <guid>https://fightbacknews.org/aurora-co-protests-killing-of-black-man-by-police</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 May 2025 20:41:43 +0000</pubDate>
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    <item>
      <title>Aurora, CO puts pressure on district attorney around police violence</title>
      <link>https://fightbacknews.org/aurora-co-puts-pressure-on-district-attorney-around-police-violence?pk_campaign=rss-feed</link>
      <description>&lt;![CDATA[Sigh bearing the name of Kory Dillard, who was killed by the police. &#xA;&#xA;Aurora, CO - On April 30, a call-in was organized to place pressure on Colorado’s 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason to charge and convict the police responsible for two acts of racist police violence that happened last year. &#xA;&#xA;The murder of Kory Dillard and the brutalization of Te’Erica Mosely, both at the hands of the police, led to members of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) organizing the action.&#xA;&#xA;!--more--&#xA;&#xA;Demands raised by the community were two-pronged. DACAC demanded that the officers responsible for the death of Kory Dillard, Kevin Rodier and Ryan Shamblin be criminally investigated and charged and that the charges placed on Te’Erica Mosely for recording violent police activity be dropped. This is not the first time these demands have been raised to DA Mason. &#xA;&#xA;Leading up to the event, DACAC and the families of the victims sent letters, faxes and phone calls to both of the district attorney’s offices. They heard back from Mason only after planning and advertising for the call-in began. Though Mason has finally agreed to meet with Dillard’s family, the date and time for this appointment has yet to be established.&#xA;&#xA;Regardless of the agreement to meet, DACAC continued with the call-in, as, historically, Mason’s interests have aligned more closely with those of the police than those of the community. The family hopes to utilize the meeting to put more pressure on Mason regarding criminal charges against police.&#xA;&#xA;Anna Harris, Kory Dillard’s partner and a member of DACAC, said, “The call-in made me feel hopeful. It was nice having some of our community stand with Kory. I hope this community pressure will have the DA keep his promise to meet with us and hopefully get justice for Kory’s murder.”&#xA;&#xA;#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #PoliceBrutality #KillerCops #DACAC&#xA;&#xA;div id=&#34;sharingbuttons.io&#34;/div]]&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://i.snap.as/zJr6QmZx.png" alt="Sigh bearing the name of Kory Dillard, who was killed by the police. " title="Sigh bearing the name of Kory Dillard, who was killed by the police.  | Photo: Fight Back! News"/></p>

<p>Aurora, CO – On April 30, a call-in was organized to place pressure on Colorado’s 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason to charge and convict the police responsible for two acts of racist police violence that happened last year.</p>

<p>The murder of Kory Dillard and the brutalization of Te’Erica Mosely, both at the hands of the police, led to members of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) organizing the action.</p>



<p>Demands raised by the community were two-pronged. DACAC demanded that the officers responsible for the death of Kory Dillard, Kevin Rodier and Ryan Shamblin be criminally investigated and charged and that the charges placed on Te’Erica Mosely for recording violent police activity be dropped. This is not the first time these demands have been raised to DA Mason.</p>

<p>Leading up to the event, DACAC and the families of the victims sent letters, faxes and phone calls to both of the district attorney’s offices. They heard back from Mason only after planning and advertising for the call-in began. Though Mason has finally agreed to meet with Dillard’s family, the date and time for this appointment has yet to be established.</p>

<p>Regardless of the agreement to meet, DACAC continued with the call-in, as, historically, Mason’s interests have aligned more closely with those of the police than those of the community. The family hopes to utilize the meeting to put more pressure on Mason regarding criminal charges against police.</p>

<p>Anna Harris, Kory Dillard’s partner and a member of DACAC, said, “The call-in made me feel hopeful. It was nice having some of our community stand with Kory. I hope this community pressure will have the DA keep his promise to meet with us and hopefully get justice for Kory’s murder.”</p>

<p><a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:AuroraCO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">AuroraCO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:CO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">CO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:InJusticeSystem" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">InJusticeSystem</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:PoliceCrimes" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">PoliceCrimes</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:PoliceBrutality" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">PoliceBrutality</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:KillerCops" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">KillerCops</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DACAC" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">DACAC</span></a></p>

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      <guid>https://fightbacknews.org/aurora-co-puts-pressure-on-district-attorney-around-police-violence</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 23:54:03 +0000</pubDate>
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      <title>Colorado: Aurora families take a stand, community control is their demand</title>
      <link>https://fightbacknews.org/colorado-aurora-families-take-a-stand-community-control-is-their-demand?pk_campaign=rss-feed</link>
      <description>&lt;![CDATA[Aurora, Colorado rally against police crimes.&#xA;&#xA;Aurora CO - On March 1, during an unseasonably warm Saturday, family members of Kory Dillard and 15 of their supporters gathered outside of the Aurora Municipal Center, for a rally against police crimes.&#xA;&#xA;Dillard, described by attendees as a beloved community member and veteran, was murdered by the Aurora Police Department (APD) on October 3, 2024. &#xA;&#xA;!--more--&#xA;&#xA;Dillard is survived by his partner Anna Harris, who has been spending the last five months fighting for accountability and justice for Kory. She spoke to the crowd about the false narratives being spread about Dillard by APD Chief Todd Chamberlain, who characterizes Kory as a rock-wielding carjacker. Video evidence of Dillard’s death directly contradicts this false narrative, but Chamberlain evidently seeks to sweep Dillard’s murder under the rug.&#xA;&#xA;“What are these wrongful deaths of Black men,” Harris asked, “but police being the judge, the jury, and the executioner, when the death penalty has been long gone in Colorado?”&#xA;&#xA;The rally was a site of shared grief by another family who has lost loved ones at the hands of APD - the Lewis family. &#xA;&#xA;Kiawa Lewis, the brother of Kilyn Lewis, stood amongst the attendees alongside his daughter. Kilyn was a 37-year-old unarmed Black man who was gunned down by Officer Michael Dieck while working on his car’s sound system just outside his Aurora apartment.&#xA;&#xA;Standing alongside Harris, Lewis spoke, saying, “It&#39;s been a tiring road, but the thing is they want to tire us out. But we stand together; we fight together.”&#xA;&#xA;Ryan Stitzel, the chair of Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) took to the megaphone to address District Attorney Amy Padden, saying, “These police historically have not been held accountable when they&#39;ve done this. When they killed Kilyn Lewis they were not held accountable. When they killed 14-year-old Jor‘Dell Richardson when they pinned him down in an alley and shot him behind a dumpster they were not held accountable, and right now the District Attorney for Arapahoe County is deciding whether or not she&#39;s going to hold these killer cops accountable and we&#39;re here to say: you must!“&#xA;&#xA;The participants of the rally chanted “Black lives matter!” and “When killer cops are on patrol, how do we stop them? Community control.”&#xA;&#xA;Nels Pine, another member of DACAC, addressed the rally, stating “They write all these horrific lies in the newspaper about Kory Dillard, about Jor’Dell Richardson, where they accuse them of all sorts of crimes. Well, the people accused of those crimes aren&#39;t alive to defend themselves against this slander, and so we&#39;ll speak the truth. That&#39;s the very least we could do, is speak the truth and say that they were never found guilty of anything!”&#xA;&#xA;Pine continued, “They were murdered in the street by police officers who robbed them of their Sixth Amendment right to a trial by a jury of their peers. These crimes by the APD have got to stop.”&#xA;&#xA;The Denver Aurora Community Action Committee ended the rally by reiterating their demands on District Attorney Amy Padden, and reaffirming their commitment to the fight against racist police violence and for community control of the police.&#xA;&#xA;#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #KillerCops #NAARPR #DACAC&#xA;&#xA;div id=&#34;sharingbuttons.io&#34;/div]]&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://i.snap.as/RBS1P1yz.jpeg" alt="Aurora, Colorado rally against police crimes." title="Aurora, Colorado rally against police crimes.  | Photo: Fight Back! News"/></p>

<p>Aurora CO – On March 1, during an unseasonably warm Saturday, family members of Kory Dillard and 15 of their supporters gathered outside of the Aurora Municipal Center, for a rally against police crimes.</p>

<p>Dillard, described by attendees as a beloved community member and veteran, <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/articles/candlelight-vigil-for-kory-dillard-in-aurora-co">was murdered by the Aurora Police Department (APD) on October 3, 2024</a>.</p>



<p>Dillard is survived by his partner Anna Harris, who has been spending the last five months fighting for accountability and justice for Kory. She spoke to the crowd about the false narratives being spread about Dillard by APD Chief Todd Chamberlain, who characterizes Kory as a rock-wielding carjacker. Video evidence of Dillard’s death directly contradicts this false narrative, but Chamberlain evidently seeks to sweep Dillard’s murder under the rug.</p>

<p>“What are these wrongful deaths of Black men,” Harris asked, “but police being the judge, the jury, and the executioner, when the death penalty has been long gone in Colorado?”</p>

<p>The rally was a site of shared grief by another family who has lost loved ones at the hands of APD – the Lewis family.</p>

<p>Kiawa Lewis, the brother of Kilyn Lewis, stood amongst the attendees alongside his daughter. Kilyn was a 37-year-old unarmed Black man who was gunned down by Officer Michael Dieck while working on his car’s sound system just outside his Aurora apartment.</p>

<p>Standing alongside Harris, Lewis spoke, saying, “It&#39;s been a tiring road, but the thing is they want to tire us out. But we stand together; we fight together.”</p>

<p>Ryan Stitzel, the chair of Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) took to the megaphone to address District Attorney Amy Padden, saying, “These police historically have not been held accountable when they&#39;ve done this. When they killed Kilyn Lewis they were not held accountable. When they killed 14-year-old Jor‘Dell Richardson when they pinned him down in an alley and shot him behind a dumpster they were not held accountable, and right now the District Attorney for Arapahoe County is deciding whether or not she&#39;s going to hold these killer cops accountable and we&#39;re here to say: you must!“</p>

<p>The participants of the rally chanted “Black lives matter!” and “When killer cops are on patrol, how do we stop them? Community control.”</p>

<p>Nels Pine, another member of DACAC, addressed the rally, stating “They write all these horrific lies in the newspaper about Kory Dillard, about Jor’Dell Richardson, where they accuse them of all sorts of crimes. Well, the people accused of those crimes aren&#39;t alive to defend themselves against this slander, and so we&#39;ll speak the truth. That&#39;s the very least we could do, is speak the truth and say that they were never found guilty of anything!”</p>

<p>Pine continued, “They were murdered in the street by police officers who robbed them of their Sixth Amendment right to a trial by a jury of their peers. These crimes by the APD have got to stop.”</p>

<p>The Denver Aurora Community Action Committee ended the rally by reiterating their demands on District Attorney Amy Padden, and reaffirming their commitment to the fight against racist police violence and for community control of the police.</p>

<p><a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:AuroraCO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">AuroraCO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:CO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">CO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:InJusticeSystem" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">InJusticeSystem</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:PoliceCrimes" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">PoliceCrimes</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:KillerCops" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">KillerCops</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:NAARPR" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">NAARPR</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DACAC" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">DACAC</span></a></p>

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      <guid>https://fightbacknews.org/colorado-aurora-families-take-a-stand-community-control-is-their-demand</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 04 Mar 2025 00:05:58 +0000</pubDate>
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    <item>
      <title>Candlelight vigil for Kory Dillard in Aurora, CO</title>
      <link>https://fightbacknews.org/candlelight-vigil-for-kory-dillard-in-aurora-co?pk_campaign=rss-feed</link>
      <description>&lt;![CDATA[Aurora, Colorado vigil demands justice for Kory Dillard.  | Staff/Fight Back! News&#xA;&#xA;Aurora, CO - On November 17, around 40 members of the Aurora community gathered in front of Aurora Police Headquarters to hold a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Kory Dillard and to speak out against the system that unjustly ended his life. &#xA;&#xA;!--more--&#xA;&#xA;Dillard, a valued member of the Aurora community, was murdered by the Aurora Police Department (APD) on October 3. His family was denied their right to view the body cam footage for over a month.&#xA;&#xA;The mood was somber as family members, friends and organizers took their candles. In the month between Dillard&#39;s death and vigil, activists and his family have been fighting a wave of disinformation propagated by the police. APD has tried to paint Dillard as a long-time criminal instead of the caring, self-proclaimed nerd that his community knew him to be. A conversation with any of his friends and family quickly dispelled any of the falsehoods that the APD would have one believe. &#xA;&#xA;Dillard’s character is not the only thing that Aurora police have been caught lying about. After his family was finally allowed to review the body cam footage, they found that the police also lied about the manner of death. Initially, police had claimed Dillard pointed a weapon at them, but the footage revealed that Dillard was shot in the back as he attempted to enter his home. &#xA;&#xA;Police Chief Todd Chamberlain claimed there was a hospital and school in this neighborhood, in his effort to try and justify the quick use of lethal force – but the school he was speaking about has been closed for two years and Dillard was not threatening the hospital in any way. &#xA;&#xA;Ava, Dillard&#39;s mother, was the first to speak. She had driven all the way from Baltimore to review the footage and attend the vigil. About her son, she said he “was loved and shared the love he had by spreading compassion and an undeniable spirit of humor” She asked the question all in attendance had: “Why?” Why couldn’t the police follow their own de-escalation procedures? Why was this department, which took a white mass shooter alive after he had killed 12 people and injured 80 more at a movie theater, not able to use those same measures for her son?&#xA;&#xA;Others, such as Kory Dillard’s long-time partner, Anna Harris, spoke of his love of flying drones, and how he would teach the kids in his neighborhood to fly. They spoke of the many creations he made with his 3D printer, and how his generous spirit was always sharing his interests with others. “Kory was a huge part of this community,” said Harris, “He’s so much more than the police make him out to be.” &#xA;&#xA;Members of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee and Students for a Democratic Society also spoke. They spoke about how APD is 3.9 times more likely to use lethal force on Black men than any other demographic, how SDS successfully fought back against the militarization of their campus police, and how working in organizations with others wins bigger gains than making demands on your own. They also laid out a number of demands including full, unedited body cam footage released to the public; firing and arresting the cops who killed Kory Dillard, and Civilian Police Accountability Councils. &#xA;&#xA;“We need a citizen-run council, independent of the police department, that has the power to investigate and fire corrupt police officers,” said one activist from DACAC&#xA;&#xA;Despite the many state information requests submitted by organizers and family, the two officers involved still hide in complete anonymity and the full, unedited body cam footage has yet to be released to the public. &#xA;&#xA;Further, Erica Dillard, Kory&#39;s sister, saw on the news that, immediately after the vigil, both officers have been taken off leave and are back on full duty. The family was not informed by Aurora Police Department in any way.&#xA;&#xA;#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #DACAC #SDS &#xA;&#xA;div id=&#34;sharingbuttons.io&#34;/div]]&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://i.snap.as/ZYAjp4e8.jpeg" alt="Aurora, Colorado vigil demands justice for Kory Dillard.  | Staff/Fight Back! News" title="Aurora, Colorado vigil demands justice for Kory Dillard.  | Staff/Fight Back! News"/></p>

<p>Aurora, CO – On November 17, around 40 members of the Aurora community gathered in front of Aurora Police Headquarters to hold a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Kory Dillard and to speak out against the system that unjustly ended his life.</p>



<p>Dillard, a valued member of the Aurora community, was murdered by the Aurora Police Department (APD) on October 3. His family was denied their right to view the body cam footage for over a month.</p>

<p>The mood was somber as family members, friends and organizers took their candles. In the month between Dillard&#39;s death and vigil, activists and his family have been fighting a wave of disinformation propagated by the police. APD has tried to paint Dillard as a long-time criminal instead of the caring, self-proclaimed nerd that his community knew him to be. A conversation with any of his friends and family quickly dispelled any of the falsehoods that the APD would have one believe.</p>

<p>Dillard’s character is not the only thing that Aurora police have been caught lying about. After his family was finally allowed to review the body cam footage, they found that the police also lied about the manner of death. Initially, police had claimed Dillard pointed a weapon at them, but the footage revealed that Dillard was shot in the back as he attempted to enter his home.</p>

<p>Police Chief Todd Chamberlain claimed there was a hospital and school in this neighborhood, in his effort to try and justify the quick use of lethal force – but the school he was speaking about has been closed for two years and Dillard was not threatening the hospital in any way.</p>

<p>Ava, Dillard&#39;s mother, was the first to speak. She had driven all the way from Baltimore to review the footage and attend the vigil. About her son, she said he “was loved and shared the love he had by spreading compassion and an undeniable spirit of humor” She asked the question all in attendance had: “Why?” Why couldn’t the police follow their own de-escalation procedures? Why was this department, which took a white mass shooter alive after he had killed 12 people and injured 80 more at a movie theater, not able to use those same measures for her son?</p>

<p>Others, such as Kory Dillard’s long-time partner, Anna Harris, spoke of his love of flying drones, and how he would teach the kids in his neighborhood to fly. They spoke of the many creations he made with his 3D printer, and how his generous spirit was always sharing his interests with others. “Kory was a huge part of this community,” said Harris, “He’s so much more than the police make him out to be.”</p>

<p>Members of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee and Students for a Democratic Society also spoke. They spoke about how APD is 3.9 times more likely to use lethal force on Black men than any other demographic, how SDS successfully fought back against the militarization of their campus police, and how working in organizations with others wins bigger gains than making demands on your own. They also laid out a number of demands including full, unedited body cam footage released to the public; firing and arresting the cops who killed Kory Dillard, and Civilian Police Accountability Councils.</p>

<p>“We need a citizen-run council, independent of the police department, that has the power to investigate and fire corrupt police officers,” said one activist from DACAC</p>

<p>Despite the many state information requests submitted by organizers and family, the two officers involved still hide in complete anonymity and the full, unedited body cam footage has yet to be released to the public.</p>

<p>Further, Erica Dillard, Kory&#39;s sister, saw on the news that, immediately after the vigil, both officers have been taken off leave and are back on full duty. The family was not informed by Aurora Police Department in any way.</p>

<p><a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:AuroraCO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">AuroraCO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:CO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">CO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:InJusticeSystem" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">InJusticeSystem</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:PoliceCrimes" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">PoliceCrimes</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DACAC" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">DACAC</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:SDS" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">SDS</span></a></p>

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      <guid>https://fightbacknews.org/candlelight-vigil-for-kory-dillard-in-aurora-co</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 20 Nov 2024 22:36:01 +0000</pubDate>
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      <title>Aurora Community hosts Safe Summer kickoff in memory of Jor’dell Richardson </title>
      <link>https://fightbacknews.org/aurora-community-hosts-safe-summer-kickoff-in-memory-of-jordell-richardson?pk_campaign=rss-feed</link>
      <description>&lt;![CDATA[Memorial to Jor&#39;del Richardson held by the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee.  | Fight Back! News/staff&#xA;&#xA;Aurora, CO - On Saturday, June 1, the family of Jor’dell Richardson, Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) organizers, and community members, hosted a safe summer kickoff at Del Mar Park, in memory of Jor’dell Richardson. Jor’dell was a 14-year-old who was shot and killed by the Aurora Police Department on June 1, 2023.&#xA;&#xA;!--more--&#xA;&#xA;The Richardson family has been fighting for justice in the case of Jor’dell’s death for over a year. APD claimed Richardson had a gun at the time of the incident leading up to his death, which was later shown to be false. Family, friends and teachers who spoke highly of Richardson.&#xA;&#xA;The memorial event started with speeches in remembrance of Jor’dell, followed by music, food, drinks, and activities such as games and drawing for kids. Speeches from DACAC members and State Representative Tim Hernandez and other activities honored Jor’dell’s memory and helped build community.&#xA;&#xA;DACAC members brought attention to their campaign of putting policing power in the hands of the community and the connections that has with tragedies such as Jor’dell’s death. &#xA;&#xA;“Police violence doesn&#39;t happen in a vacuum: it is a direct result of training, systemic racism, misogyny and killology that is drilled into police recruits, encouraging escalation with the ever available option of violence as long as an officer claims that they felt in danger. How can we change such a rotten system? By taking control,” said Michael Watson, an organizer with DACAC. &#xA;&#xA;DACAC is pushing a campaign for a Community Police Accountability Council (CPAC), where powers such as managing policing budgets, the ability to hire and fire police officers, and direct investigation of police misconduct will come down to community-elected board members.&#xA;&#xA;Rep. Hernandez extended himself to the community and the family, stating, “I know this has got to be a really difficult time for the family, so I hope you guys will be able to hold each other close. I’m thankful to be here with everybody, I hope that everybody here can take some time today to just reflect on what it means to be in community with each other and why that&#39;s deeply important for young people to feel.”&#xA;&#xA;The memorial ended with a sendoff, where the community and family released many of the blue balloons that decorated the event. Community and family gathered in a big circle and shouted Jor’dell’s name as they released their balloons, keeping Jor’dell’s name and family close in their hearts.&#xA;&#xA;#AuroraCO #DenverCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceBritality #KillerCops #CPAC #DACAC&#xA;&#xA;div id=&#34;sharingbuttons.io&#34;/div]]&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://i.snap.as/L8oxq4Ij.jpg" alt="Memorial to Jor&#39;del Richardson held by the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee.  | Fight Back! News/staff" title="Memorial to Jor&#39;del Richardson held by the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee.  | Fight Back! News/staff"/></p>

<p>Aurora, CO – On Saturday, June 1, the family of Jor’dell Richardson, Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) organizers, and community members, hosted a safe summer kickoff at Del Mar Park, in memory of Jor’dell Richardson. Jor’dell was a 14-year-old who was shot and killed by the Aurora Police Department on June 1, 2023.</p>



<p>The Richardson family has been fighting for justice in the case of Jor’dell’s death for over a year. APD claimed Richardson had a gun at the time of the incident leading up to his death, which was later shown to be false. Family, friends and teachers who spoke highly of Richardson.</p>

<p>The memorial event started with speeches in remembrance of Jor’dell, followed by music, food, drinks, and activities such as games and drawing for kids. Speeches from DACAC members and State Representative Tim Hernandez and other activities honored Jor’dell’s memory and helped build community.</p>

<p>DACAC members brought attention to their campaign of putting policing power in the hands of the community and the connections that has with tragedies such as Jor’dell’s death.</p>

<p>“Police violence doesn&#39;t happen in a vacuum: it is a direct result of training, systemic racism, misogyny and killology that is drilled into police recruits, encouraging escalation with the ever available option of violence as long as an officer claims that they felt in danger. How can we change such a rotten system? By taking control,” said Michael Watson, an organizer with DACAC.</p>

<p>DACAC is pushing a campaign for a Community Police Accountability Council (CPAC), where powers such as managing policing budgets, the ability to hire and fire police officers, and direct investigation of police misconduct will come down to community-elected board members.</p>

<p>Rep. Hernandez extended himself to the community and the family, stating, “I know this has got to be a really difficult time for the family, so I hope you guys will be able to hold each other close. I’m thankful to be here with everybody, I hope that everybody here can take some time today to just reflect on what it means to be in community with each other and why that&#39;s deeply important for young people to feel.”</p>

<p>The memorial ended with a sendoff, where the community and family released many of the blue balloons that decorated the event. Community and family gathered in a big circle and shouted Jor’dell’s name as they released their balloons, keeping Jor’dell’s name and family close in their hearts.</p>

<p><a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:AuroraCO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">AuroraCO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DenverCO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">DenverCO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:CO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">CO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:InJusticeSystem" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">InJusticeSystem</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:PoliceBritality" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">PoliceBritality</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:KillerCops" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">KillerCops</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:CPAC" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">CPAC</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DACAC" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">DACAC</span></a></p>

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      <guid>https://fightbacknews.org/aurora-community-hosts-safe-summer-kickoff-in-memory-of-jordell-richardson</guid>
      <pubDate>Sat, 08 Jun 2024 02:28:25 +0000</pubDate>
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      <title>Family and community activists hold vigil for Adam Fresquez</title>
      <link>https://fightbacknews.org/family-and-community-activists-hold-vigil-for-adam-fresquez?pk_campaign=rss-feed</link>
      <description>&lt;![CDATA[Family and community gather to mourn the loss of Adam Fresquez, 33, who was killed by an unknown person on May 3.  | Fight Back! News/staff&#xA;&#xA;Edgewater, CO - The Edgewater Civic Center became a focal point for solidarity and remembrance on December 5, as about 50 family members, community activists and local residents gathered to honor the life and legacy of Adam Fresquez.&#xA;&#xA;Fresquez was pepper-sprayed and fatally shot twice in the back on May 3. The assailant still remains unidentified to the public. The timing of this vigil coincided with the swearing-in ceremony of Edgewater’s new mayor, Steve Conklin, and incoming city council members. The gathering served as a call to the newly appointed officials to ensure accountability within the Edgewater Police Department and to seek justice for Fresquez murder.&#xA;&#xA;!--more--&#xA;&#xA;The evening began with heartfelt speeches from members of Fresquez’s family, notably his sister Crystal Fresquez and his mother Lena Fresquez Mendez. Their emotional reflections resonated throughout the event, emphasizing the lasting impact of Adam Fresquez &#39;s presence and the need to seek justice and find closure.&#xA;&#xA;Members of the Denver Justice Project and Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee also spoke to the loss the community felt with the murder of Adam Fresquez. After the vigil, the attendees crowded into the Edgewater city council chambers to voice their dissent to the council.&#xA;&#xA;Crystal Fresquez began public comment by pointing out the previous investigations by 1st District Attorney Alexis King into the Edgewater Police Department that found serious violations, including evidence tampering, and an internal culture of bullying, retaliation and bending the rules. She continued, “Our family, community members, and community advocates are concerned about the lack of accountability within Edgewater PD and the negative impact it has had on our lives and on public safety in general. We ask: of the officers involved in prior misconduct, who has been fired?”&#xA;&#xA;Hans Miller, a member of Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee, addressed the audience during the public comment session, shedding light on the lack of transparency surrounding the details of Adam Fresquez&#39;s case. Miller highlighted the barriers faced in accessing crucial information related to the officers involved in the incident. He expressed dismay at being charged approximately $1600 merely as a down payment to obtain critical information through the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, stressing that such essential details should be readily accessible to the public, regardless of financial status. Miller underscored the urgent need for transparency and accountability within law enforcement agencies, proposing a Community Police Accountability Council as a potential solution.&#xA;&#xA;Jonce Palmer, chair of Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee spoke during public comment. asking each one of the previous council members, new council members, the chief of police and mayor what they&#39;re doing to ensure proper investigation in the case of Adam Fresquez. They asked a direct question of Edgewater Police Chief Eric Sonstegard, “This family’s been waiting for seven months, and they have to pay over $1500, potentially more, just to get to the bottom of what happened to their loved one? The taxpayers of Edgewater already pay your salary; haven’t we paid enough?”&#xA;&#xA;The vigil and the following public comment made it clear that the community will not remain silent in the face of injustice as they fight to seek justice for Adam Fresquez. The call for police accountability will not be pushed aside as the community challenges authorities to uphold the principles of justice they claim to hold and ensure that tragedies like this are thoroughly investigated and those responsible are held accountable.&#xA;&#xA;#EdgewaterCO #InjusticeSystem #PoliceBrutality #KillerCops #DACAC&#xA;&#xA;div id=&#34;sharingbuttons.io&#34;/div]]&gt;</description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://i.snap.as/ASZRb5u4.jpeg" alt="Family and community gather to mourn the loss of Adam Fresquez, 33, who was killed by an unknown person on May 3.  | Fight Back! News/staff" title="Family and community gather to mourn the loss of Adam Fresquez, 33, who was killed by an unknown person on May 3.  | Fight Back! News/staff"/></p>

<p>Edgewater, CO – The Edgewater Civic Center became a focal point for solidarity and remembrance on December 5, as about 50 family members, community activists and local residents gathered to honor the life and legacy of Adam Fresquez.</p>

<p>Fresquez was pepper-sprayed and fatally shot twice in the back on May 3. The assailant still remains unidentified to the public. The timing of this vigil coincided with the swearing-in ceremony of Edgewater’s new mayor, Steve Conklin, and incoming city council members. The gathering served as a call to the newly appointed officials to ensure accountability within the Edgewater Police Department and to seek justice for Fresquez murder.</p>



<p>The evening began with heartfelt speeches from members of Fresquez’s family, notably his sister Crystal Fresquez and his mother Lena Fresquez Mendez. Their emotional reflections resonated throughout the event, emphasizing the lasting impact of Adam Fresquez &#39;s presence and the need to seek justice and find closure.</p>

<p>Members of the Denver Justice Project and Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee also spoke to the loss the community felt with the murder of Adam Fresquez. After the vigil, the attendees crowded into the Edgewater city council chambers to voice their dissent to the council.</p>

<p>Crystal Fresquez began public comment by pointing out the previous investigations by 1st District Attorney Alexis King into the Edgewater Police Department that found serious violations, including evidence tampering, and an internal culture of bullying, retaliation and bending the rules. She continued, “Our family, community members, and community advocates are concerned about the lack of accountability within Edgewater PD and the negative impact it has had on our lives and on public safety in general. We ask: of the officers involved in prior misconduct, who has been fired?”</p>

<p>Hans Miller, a member of Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee, addressed the audience during the public comment session, shedding light on the lack of transparency surrounding the details of Adam Fresquez&#39;s case. Miller highlighted the barriers faced in accessing crucial information related to the officers involved in the incident. He expressed dismay at being charged approximately $1600 merely as a down payment to obtain critical information through the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, stressing that such essential details should be readily accessible to the public, regardless of financial status. Miller underscored the urgent need for transparency and accountability within law enforcement agencies, proposing a Community Police Accountability Council as a potential solution.</p>

<p>Jonce Palmer, chair of Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee spoke during public comment. asking each one of the previous council members, new council members, the chief of police and mayor what they&#39;re doing to ensure proper investigation in the case of Adam Fresquez. They asked a direct question of Edgewater Police Chief Eric Sonstegard, “This family’s been waiting for seven months, and they have to pay over $1500, potentially more, just to get to the bottom of what happened to their loved one? The taxpayers of Edgewater already pay your salary; haven’t we paid enough?”</p>

<p>The vigil and the following public comment made it clear that the community will not remain silent in the face of injustice as they fight to seek justice for Adam Fresquez. The call for police accountability will not be pushed aside as the community challenges authorities to uphold the principles of justice they claim to hold and ensure that tragedies like this are thoroughly investigated and those responsible are held accountable.</p>

<p><a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:EdgewaterCO" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">EdgewaterCO</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:InjusticeSystem" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">InjusticeSystem</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:PoliceBrutality" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">PoliceBrutality</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:KillerCops" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">KillerCops</span></a> <a href="https://fightbacknews.org/tag:DACAC" class="hashtag"><span>#</span><span class="p-category">DACAC</span></a></p>

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      <guid>https://fightbacknews.org/family-and-community-activists-hold-vigil-for-adam-fresquez</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 10 Dec 2023 01:27:25 +0000</pubDate>
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