- Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, a father, was fatally shot by a Colorado police officer within 50 seconds of the encounter.
- The family claims the officer immediately escalated the situation and used excessive force against the unarmed man.
- Aurora, Colorado has a history of paying out large settlements to Black families over police killings.
Rajon Belt-Stubblefield was fatally shot by an Aurora, Colorado police officer named Matthew Neely in August 2025. He was stopped by Neely for a potential DUI, but fled in his vehicle before crashing into several parked vehicles at a busy intersection, according to Denver7. Despite being ordered to the ground at gun point, Belt-Stubblefield allegedly walked away from the officer before being approached for arrest. During that physical altercation, it was reported that the 37-year-old tossed a firearm into the grass before allegedly telling his 18-year-old son, Zion Murphy, to “get that s–t” to which the officer responded, “Get away from that f—ing gun.” The unarmed Belt-Stubblefield is said to have begun approaching the officer, before being told, “Get on the ground. I’ll shoot you.” Stubbfield was then shot multiple times, twice in the body and once in the head.
This all happened within 50 seconds, from first contact to death.
The Denver Post reports that on Monday, Belt-Stubblefield’s family notified the city of Aurora that they will be filing a lawsuit.
“No child should ever have to witness that,” said Erica Murphy, Zion Murphy’s mother. “No child should have to carry the trauma for the rest of their life. Rajon was more than a headline. He was more than a police report. He was a father. He was loved. He mattered.”
In the lawsuit notice, family lawyer Milo Schwab tells a very different story from the one that officer Neely put forth. Schwab says that Neely immediately pointed his gun at Belt-Stubblefield after the car collision. Schwab also claims that Neely attempted to take down Belt-Stubblefield by the neck but fell to the ground in the process.
Neely then followed Belt-Stubblefield, shoved him in the back and then as Belt-Stubblefield turned to speak to his son Neely “suckerpunched Mr. Belt-Stubblefield in the back of the head, causing Mr. Belt-Stubblefield to put his fists up to protect his head,” the notice of claim stated.
Moreover, the city has had no contact with the family since the shooting and officer Neely has not faced any disciplinary action, alleges the attorney.
If Aurora, Colorado rings a bell, it is because they have paid out several Black families for wrongful death lawsuits, including $15 million to the family of Elijah McClain who police killed in 2019. The city also paid out $2.6 million to the family of Naeschylus Carter-Vinzant, another unarmed Black man who was gunned down by police.
