Grandfather Killed By Aurora Cops Was Vietnam Vet, Lawyers Say

AURORA, CO – Lawyers for the family of a 73-year-old Aurora man fatally shot by Aurora cops identified him as a Vietnam veteran and said police may have acted improperly when they possibly shot into the house from outside.

Denver7 reported that attorney Siddhartha Rathod identified Richard "Gary" Black Jr., a Purple Heart awardee and former federal agent, as the man fatally shot by police responding to reports of an intruder, killed early Monday morning.

The Adams County Coroner and Aurora Police have not yet identified the homeowner and alleged intruder who were both killed.

Related: Aurora Police Shooting Incident: Intruder Named

Rathod said the intruder, in his 20s, was naked when he broke into the Black family home around 1:30 a.m. and grabbed Black's sleeping 11-year-old grandson off the couch, dragged him to the bathroom and tried to strangle and drown the child in the bathtub.

More details were reported by 9NEWS in an interview with Rathod's law partner, Qusair Mohamedbhai, who said Black and his son fought the intruder and then Black shot the man with his 9 mm handgun.

That was the gun Black was holding when Aurora Police showed up at the home at 10609 E. Montview Blvd., where the lawyers say officers may have shot into the house from the outside, killing Black.

In a statement, Aurora Police chief Nick Metz described the situation when officers arrived as "a very chaotic and violent scene" at the single-family home. Officers heard "gunshots fired from inside the home," Aurora police said.

Rathod described Black's heroic actions to save his grandson, who has been released from the hospital, he told Denver7.

“Gary is absolutely the hero who saved his grandson’s life,” Rathod said. “His death is a tragic incident.”

Related: Grandfather With Gun Shot By Aurora Cops Responding To Break-in

Mohamedbhai said his clients thought the intruder came from a party in the neighborhood and randomly entered their home. Black's wife, Jeanette Black, gave dispatchers "a very specific description of her husband and what he was wearing," Mohamedbhai told 9NEWS.

The officer involved was placed on administrative reassignment with pay according to Aurora Police Department policy.

Metz released a statement Tuesday on the department's Facebook page promising to hold a press conference on Aug. 2.

"The Aurora Police Department understands that the public has many questions concerning the officer-involved shooting that occurred the morning of July 30th, 2018," Metz said in a statement.

Read the rest of the statement below:

Images via Siddhartha Rathod

Stay up-to-date on Colorado news with Patch! There are many ways for you to connect and stay in touch: Free newsletters and Email Alerts|Facebook