More Details About Aurora Police Shooting Of Grandfather

AURORA, CO – The 73-year-old man shot in his Arvada home by police at 1:30 a.m. Monday was told multiple times to drop the 9 mm pistol he carried, but officers may not have identified themselves as police, the Aurora police chief said Thursday. Chief Nick Matz also said that Richard "Gary" Black who was shot and killed by an Aurora officer, had a "significant hearing impairment" that Black received during combat in Vietnam, the family shared.

At a press conference (see above) Metz said he met with Black's family members and reviewed 911 call recordings and officer body cam footage.

Metz confirmed that the officer who fired four shots at Gary Black in what he described as a "violent and chaotic scene" was the same officer who had shot and killed another man in Aurora around 30 days before.

Metz did not name the officer, but said he was a three-year officer with Arvada police force and was a veteran who had served at least two overseas deployments.

Metz said the officer had been on administrative leave for 18 days after fatally shooting a man on June 27, and had undergone the department's process of completing a peer-support process with other officers who had been involved in an officer involved shooting. He had also been assessed by "psych services" according to department policy and he had extra training on the firing range with instructors.

The officer who shot Black was the first to enter the home where Dajon Harper, 26, had knocked down the door after leaving a party across the street and snatched Black's 11 year old grandson from the couch, locking himself in the bathroom with the boy and allegedly attempting to drown him in the bathtub and strangle him. Black was determined to have shot and killed Harper minutes before the officer fired on Black.

"This officer ran into an incredibly dangerous situation and put himself in harms way after shots were fired, knowing he could be shot himself," Metz said. He said the officer gave aid to Black as Black lay bleeding from gunshot wounds and the officer then made the decision to follow up after Black told him his grandson and son were in the bathroom with Harper and that Harper had been harming his grandson.

Metz provided more details of the event, which he has repeatedly called "heartbreaking."

He said Harper had been at a party across the street and witnesses told police he had been "taking drugs." Toxicology tests to determine if Harper had drugs in his system will take weeks. Meanwhile Harper allegedly crossed the street, began banging on the door of the Black family's house and eventually knocked it down. The families did not know each other previously, Metz said. "It appeared to be random."

People from the party followed Harper into the Black's house. The house had "around ten" people inside, several who didn't live there and there was a lot of chaos and screaming, Metz said.

Metz released dispatch recordings from the incident. He did not release audio tape from Mrs. Black's 911 call, which he said he had personally reviewed and parts of it were inaudible. Dispatchers asked if the intruder had weapons, Metz said, and Black's wife initially said no. But as officers arrived, Black's wife, Jeanette, was heard to say the phrase "he's got a gun," possibly speaking to a dispatcher or to the officers entering the house at at 10609 E. Montview Blvd.

Metz said many of the recordings were hard to understand with screaming in the background and dispatchers did not get a description of the intruder.

Related: Aurora Police Shooting Incident: Intruder Named

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

Related: Grandfather Killed By Aurora Cops Was Vietnam Vet, Lawyers Say

This was confirmed by a letter from the family, read by Metz. The family acknowledged that 911 calls did not include a description of Harper. The family also asked the Aurora PD not to release the body cam and 911 call video and audio.

"We don’t wish to have the the final and violent moments of Gary 's distinguished life be his public legacy," the family wrote.

The case will continue to be investigated by both the 17th (Adams County) and 18th (Arapahoe County) Judicial districts.

Listen to an edited recording of the dispatcher traffic connected with the incident:

Image Gary Black via Siddhartha Rathod