African American Ministers Call For Federal Investigation Of Aurora Police And Firing Of Officers
DENVER (CBS4)- The Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance is demanding an investigation into the Aurora Police Department after officers ordered an African American mother and three girls onto the hot pavement at gunpoint in a mix-up over a stolen vehicle. A bystander caught the incident on video.
Brittney Gilliam was taking her 6-year-old daughter and three other girls to get their nails done when officers mistook the license plate on her car for one that was stolen. She says the girls, who were crying as police handcuffed them, are traumatized.
Bishop Jerry Demmer says, in some ways, he's become accustomed to racism but this, he says, was almost unbelievable.
"It does not shock me to see African American men shot, it shocks me, though, when I see African American children, lying face down, handcuffed."
As President of the Denver Ministerial Alliance, which is made up of more than 70 African American ministers, Demmer is a powerful force of influence.
So, when he asked for a meeting with Aurora's new police chief and the city manager, he got it -- a nearly three-hour meeting.
"We had expectations of going in, of resistance. The first thing she said, we realize that if this would have been a white family, white teenagers, they would have never been laid on their stomachs," said Demmer. "I was appreciative of them coming in and laying it on the line and saying, 'There is a whole bunch of things wrong with the Aurora Police Department.'"
But, Demmer made the Alliance's expectations clear, "We need every officer that was there to be fired. We want the federal law enforcement to come in and we want them to look at everything that's gone on in Aurora for years now."
"I was scared drive to drive through Aurora at the age of 16 to 17."
Still, Demmer says, as a man of faith, he will give the police chief a chance, "I guess if we ever lose hope, we're in trouble. If we don't have hope, where do we go from there."
While the ministers are a peaceful group, they are also persistent.
Demmer says they will hold a press conference on Saturday at 5 p.m. on the west side of the Aurora Municipal Center to demand Gov. Jared Polis and Attorney General Phil Weiser call for a federal investigation of the Aurora Police Department.
CBS4 reached out to the police chief but has not received a response at the time of publishing.
