After a 73-year-old Army veteran fatally shot an intruder who attacked his grandson, he was shot and killed by a police officer in Aurora, Colorado.
The intruder, who was naked, entered the home that Richard “Gary” Black Jr. owned with his wife Jeanette early Monday morning. The intruder pulled Black’s sleeping 11-year-old grandson from a couch into a bathtub and began choking him.
Black and the boy’s father tried to defend the young boy and a struggle broke out. Black retrieved his handgun and fatally shot the intruder, 9 News reported.
The child was taken to a hospital with serious injuries caused by the intruder.
911 calls poured in and police officers “arrived to a very chaotic and violent scene around 1:30 a.m. Monday,” Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz said.
The family attorney, Qusair Mohamedbhai, said Black’s wife made one of the 911 calls and was very detailed about what her husband was wearing.
Attorney: Aurora police should not have shot man defending his family https://t.co/j6teQOtRHz pic.twitter.com/T9E9hgXhdB
— 9NEWS Denver (@9NEWS) July 31, 2018
A release stated: “While on scene officers heard gunshots fired from inside the home, and encountered an armed adult male. An officer discharged his firearm striking the armed male who was transported to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.”
Aurora police did not respond to questions Tuesday and did not identify the officer. The officer that killed Black has been placed on administrative reassignment with pay.
Black earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam.
Black’s wife was taken to the hospital for surgery for injuries sustained in the incident.
The investigation is being handled by the Aurora Police Major Crimes Unit and Denver Police Department.
The facts of the case will be handed over to the Office of the District Attorney to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against the officer.
In a news release, Denver Police said: “This is a very heartbreaking and tragic situation for everyone involved. We are providing assistance through our victim advocates to help the family of the deceased resident through this very difficult time.”
However, this is the second time that a suspect was shot and killed by Aurora police in less than a week.
On Saturday, a suspect was killed by officers following a chase that ended in Adams County near Federal Boulevard and West 64th Avenue.
