Family of Black man shot by Aurora Police shuts down City Council meeting again

An angry crowd approached the City Council dais Monday after members declined to give them more time to speak.Photo byAurora TV/City of Aurora

For the fourth meeting in a row, the family of a Black man killed by Aurora Police disrupted the Aurora City Council Monday.

Kilyn Lewis’s family and other supporters again packed the council chambers and dominated public comment period. They again spoke well beyond the four-minute time limit and ignored Mayor Mike Coffman’s gavel pounding.

Speakers had their microphones turned off by city workers when they exceeded their time limits. Candice Bailey stayed up there for about 15 minutes.

The speakers chastised council member Stephanie Hancock, who is Black, for not demanding the arrest of Officer Michael Dieck, who shot Lewis. They also railed against her for calling members of the crowd “terrorists” last week. Lewis later apologized to those who found the remark offensive. But she added, “I will not be silenced.” She also said the City Council cannot fire a police officer, there's due process.

‘And justice for Kilyn Lewis’

Gina Simeon remarked that the council expressed distaste at the crowd at the last meeting for changing the words of the Pledge of Allegiance to “and justice for Kilyn Lewis” instead of “and justice for all.” Simeon told the council, “If that bothers you, then you don’t mean justice for all.”

Mayor Mike Coffman prior to public comment period offered his condolences to Lewis’ friends and family. Other public speakers who got sideways with the crowd two weeks ago apologized.

Coffman did not bang his gavel as Lewis’ mother, La Ronda Jones, far exceeded the allotted time while describing the pain of losing her son. She testified peacefully to the council without yelling, as did Lewis’ father, Robert Lewis.

Crowd rushes dais

But decorum didn’t last long. When the hour allotted for public comment period ended, the council voted to shut down comment instead of extending the time and allowing eight remaining people to speak.

At that point the crowd rushed toward the council dais with their hands up and began to chant, “Say his name! Kilyn Lewis!” The council tried to resume its regular meeting, but they could not be heard over the chanting crowd. The council then recessed to the study session room to hold a virtual meeting.

One speaker said there were about 20-30 security and police officers at the meeting. Last week, the same crowd attended Denver’s City Council meeting and chided those public officials, too. Speakers noted the Aurora Police Department was serving a Denver warrant for attempted homicide.

The Lewis killing came on the heels of police slayings of Elijah McClain and Jordell Richardson, also Black men, by Aurora Police. At a council meeting in June, tempers flared. “You all don’t see the storm that’s manifesting,” said Kiyala Lewis. “You all pi**sed off so many people. And I will tell you that as they look at you now, it’s not very good.”

At a meeting a week prior, a man who identified himself as KDOT told the council “Blood is on your hands,” adding Lewis was “more than a decent human being.”