Rashaud Terrelle Johnson dies in fatal Aurora, Colorado police shooting

Rashaud Terrelle Johnson dies in fatal Aurora, Colorado police shooting

Fatal Aurora, Colorado police shooting death of Rashaud Terrelle Johnson – Obituary

Rashaud Terrelle Johnson, 32, was fatally shot by an Aurora police officer on May 12, 2025, after a confrontation at an airport parking facility in the city. The shooting took place at The Parking Spot on East 56th Avenue after police were alerted to a suspicious person at the location.

According to Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain, a manager at the parking lot called authorities around 3 p.m., reporting a man attempting to open vehicle doors and behaving erratically. The caller noted that Johnson appeared intoxicated, was refusing to leave, and had become aggressive toward employees and customers.

When an officer arrived at approximately 5:15 p.m., Johnson was observed wandering and not responding to commands. The officer reportedly tried to calm the situation and make clear that Johnson was not in trouble. Despite those efforts, Johnson advanced on the officer, prompting the officer to use his baton and then a taser.

Body camera video showed Johnson tackling the officer and attempting to disarm him. During the scuffle, Johnson managed to remove the magazine from the officer’s firearm and reportedly tried to obscure the officer’s vision by pulling his vest over his face.

As the struggle continued, the officer regained his footing and drew his gun. Johnson continued moving toward him, and after backing into a fence, the officer fired at Johnson around 5:30 p.m. Johnson was taken to the hospital but died shortly after arrival.

Denver police were the first to arrive as backup due to proximity, arriving about five minutes later. Chief Chamberlain stated the response involved only one officer initially because the nature of the original trespassing call did not suggest a high-risk situation.

The incident remains under review by the 17th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team and the Aurora Police Department’s internal investigators. The officer involved has been with the department for four years and is currently on paid leave per standard procedure.

Chief Chamberlain also raised concerns about the lack of alternative systems for addressing mental health and substance-related emergencies, questioning why law enforcement remains the primary responder in such complex situations.