Aurora officer faces rare murder charge
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Rajon Belt-Stubblefield's wife, Tandra Blankson, closes her eyes for a moment during a press conference Monday. Photo: RJ Sangosti/Getty Images
An Aurora police officer faces a rare murder prosecution after a 2025 traffic stop ended with a 37-year-old Black father dead — putting Colorado's limits on police use of deadly force on trial.
Zoom in: An Arapahoe County grand jury this week indicted officer Matthew Neely on charges of second-degree murder and reckless manslaughter in the Aug. 30, 2025, shooting death of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield.
Catch up quick: Neely clocked Belt-Stubblefield on radar for speeding and tried to pull him over at East Sixth Avenue and Sable Boulevard. Belt-Stubblefield crashed into two cars, exited his vehicle and tossed a handgun into the grass.
- At one point, Belt-Stubblefield approached Neely with raised fists and the two engaged physically. The officer fired twice into the man's chest, then once into his head.
Yes, but: The indictment says Belt-Stubblefield "never verbally threatened to harm [Neely], nor made any overt acts to disarm [Neely] or to rearm himself."
- Neely, who had pepper spray and a collapsible baton, never told Belt-Stubblefield he was under arrest or warned he would shoot. The officer said he wanted to preserve the element of surprise.
Caveat: Jurors found probable cause, not guilt.
Between the lines: Colorado rarely convicts officers for on-duty shootings.
- Prosecutors will have to convince jurors Belt-Stubblefield no longer posed an imminent threat after throwing his gun away.
What they're saying: "We cannot continue to normalize that [police] get to be judge, jury and executioner," family spokesperson MiDian Shofner, who witnessed the shooting, tells Axios.
- Neely's "going to have to explain his actions," Belt-Stubblefield's wife, Tandra Blankson, said this week. "He's going to have to see us in the courtroom. He can't run."
Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain, meanwhile, urged due process.
The big picture: Aurora police operate under a 2021 consent decree after a state investigation found racially biased policing and excessive force within the department.
What to watch: Shofner says Belt-Stubblefield's supporters plan to attend next Monday's scheduled City Council meeting.
- "This isn't an 'I told you so' moment. It's an ... extended invitation to collaborate and do something differently," she says.
What's next: Neely is due in court Aug. 17.
- He posted a $200,000 bond. Aurora Police placed him on unpaid administrative leave.