Candlelight vigil for Kory Dillard in Aurora, CO

Aurora, CO – On November 17, around 40 members of the Aurora community gathered in front of Aurora Police Headquarters to hold a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Kory Dillard and to speak out against the system that unjustly ended his life.

Dillard, a valued member of the Aurora community, was murdered by the Aurora Police Department (APD) on October 3. His family was denied their right to view the body cam footage for over a month.

The mood was somber as family members, friends and organizers took their candles. In the month between Dillard’s death and vigil, activists and his family have been fighting a wave of disinformation propagated by the police. APD has tried to paint Dillard as a long-time criminal instead of the caring, self-proclaimed nerd that his community knew him to be. A conversation with any of his friends and family quickly dispelled any of the falsehoods that the APD would have one believe.

Dillard’s character is not the only thing that Aurora police have been caught lying about. After his family was finally allowed to review the body cam footage, they found that the police also lied about the manner of death. Initially, police had claimed Dillard pointed a weapon at them, but the footage revealed that Dillard was shot in the back as he attempted to enter his home.

Police Chief Todd Chamberlain claimed there was a hospital and school in this neighborhood, in his effort to try and justify the quick use of lethal force – but the school he was speaking about has been closed for two years and Dillard was not threatening the hospital in any way.

Ava, Dillard’s mother, was the first to speak. She had driven all the way from Baltimore to review the footage and attend the vigil. About her son, she said he “was loved and shared the love he had by spreading compassion and an undeniable spirit of humor” She asked the question all in attendance had: “Why?” Why couldn’t the police follow their own de-escalation procedures? Why was this department, which took a white mass shooter alive after he had killed 12 people and injured 80 more at a movie theater, not able to use those same measures for her son?

Others, such as Kory Dillard’s long-time partner, Anna Harris, spoke of his love of flying drones, and how he would teach the kids in his neighborhood to fly. They spoke of the many creations he made with his 3D printer, and how his generous spirit was always sharing his interests with others. “Kory was a huge part of this community,” said Harris, “He’s so much more than the police make him out to be.”

Members of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee and Students for a Democratic Society also spoke. They spoke about how APD is 3.9 times more likely to use lethal force on Black men than any other demographic, how SDS successfully fought back against the militarization of their campus police, and how working in organizations with others wins bigger gains than making demands on your own. They also laid out a number of demands including full, unedited body cam footage released to the public; firing and arresting the cops who killed Kory Dillard, and Civilian Police Accountability Councils.

“We need a citizen-run council, independent of the police department, that has the power to investigate and fire corrupt police officers,” said one activist from DACAC

Despite the many state information requests submitted by organizers and family, the two officers involved still hide in complete anonymity and the full, unedited body cam footage has yet to be released to the public.

Further, Erica Dillard, Kory’s sister, saw on the news that, immediately after the vigil, both officers have been taken off leave and are back on full duty. The family was not informed by Aurora Police Department in any way.

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