AURORA, Colo. — Campaign Zero today joined the public calls to immediately release the body-worn camera footage of the fatal shooting of U.S. Army veteran Kory Dillard by Aurora police officers. Dillard, a 37-year-old father, was shot outside his apartment on October 3rd after officers mistook his airsoft toy rifle for a real firearm.
According to Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain, officers were responding to a reported altercation in the parking lot of Dillard’s apartment when they encountered him holding what they believed was an assault-style weapon. Police allege that Dillard raised the airsoft gun, prompting officers to fire two shots. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
Dillard’s partner has said the item he was holding was a marked airsoft toy. “It wasn’t a weapon. It was an airsoft toy, still with the toy indicator on it,” she said in an interview with CBS News. She also shared that Dillard, a veteran, suffered from mental health issues after his military service and believes a mental health crisis led to the tragic encounter. “Kory needed help, but instead, he was shot holding a hobby toy,” she added.
On this World Mental Health Day, Campaign Zero emphasizes the importance of proper crisis intervention,especially for veterans and those suffering from mental health challenges. Kory’s tragic death highlights the urgent need for accountability and improved responses to mental health crises by law enforcement.
Campaign Zero demands full transparency, insisting that the public has a right to see the bodycam footage. In Colorado, an open carry state, the mere presence of an airsoft gun should not have prompted such an immediate and escalated response from law enforcement. “If this situation is as straightforward as police claim, there should be no issue releasing the footage immediately,” said DeRay McKesson, Executive Director of Campaign Zero. “We need answers and accountability for why a veteran in the midst of a mental health crisis was shot.”
Campaign Zero stands with Dillard’s family and the community in calling for justice, transparency, and an independent review of the use of force in this incident.
Campaign Zero is a research-driven organization started by activists to provide people with the information and tools to create a world beyond policing. Campaign Zero encourages organizers, activists, and policymakers to focus on solutions with the strongest evidence of effectiveness at reducing police violence.