AURORA, Colo. — A Colorado nonprofit is urging the City of Aurora to prioritize youth violence prevention after a teenage boy was shot in the leg by an Aurora police officer early Monday morning.
According to the Aurora Police Department, officers were conducting "hotspot patrolling" in the area of Mississippi Avenue and Sable Boulevard around 3 a.m. when they encountered a 16-year-old who was acting "suspicious." APD Chief of the Investigations Division Mark Hildebrand said officers were patrolling the area due to an increase in car thefts and break-ins.
Hildebrand said officers tried to talk to the teen but he ran off. He then came out from behind the cars and "approached officers at a very fast pace." Officers reportedly backed up, but the teen kept coming toward them and did not comply with orders, according to Hildebrand.
An officer fired his weapon, striking the 16-year-old in the leg. After he was shot, he "threw a knife on the ground, dropped to his knees and then complied with officers' commands," Hildebrand said.
Aurora
Aurora police shoot teenage boy in the leg during patrol of neighborhood
Aurora PD has dealt with the teen in the past, according to Hildebrand.
"A lot of these kids are reoffending or getting into trouble because they have nothing else going on," said Jason McBride, founder of the nonprofit McBride Impact.
Since 2018, McBride and his nonprofit have worked to steer Colorado kids away from violence and crime.
"Our program works because we make a genuine connection with these young people. You know, I used to be one of those young people," he said.
McBride thinks the City of Aurora should do more to tackle a problem that he believes is only getting worse.
"Resources are being allocated to other places where, you know, in fact, they should be prioritized to youth and youth violence because Aurora has had so many issues in the past," he said.
The City of Aurora does have youth violence prevention programs, including SAVE (Standing Against Violence Every Day). However, McBride believes Aurora should follow the City of Denver's lead and create programs that connect youth with jobs, especially during spring and summer breaks.
"We have to do a better job of finding these kids more positive role models, influences, activities, or we're going to continue to get kids in into the cemetery and the cell block," McBride said.
The teen who was shot suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was released from the hospital Monday. The officer who fired the gun has been placed on administrative leave, per department protocol.
The City of Denver has programs aimed at reducing youth violence, which you can find here. Denver Public Schools, through its youth resilience liaisons, aims to address the basic needs of its students at home "with school and community programs that promote positive behavior and success." Additionally, the Denver Youth Program's at-risk intervention and mentoring (AIM) program is the Rocky Mountain region’s only hospital-based violence intervention program (HVIP), which helps Denver’s at-risk youth and adults ages 14 to 45 years old "disrupt the cycle of violence."
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.