AURORA, Colo. — Aurora’s independent monitor is calling for a broad review of the city’s behavioral health crisis system after the April 9 officer-involved shooting that left a 23-year-old man dead, and an officer and police K-9 seriously injured.
The special report, released Wednesday, begins with Amare Garlington’s death. According to the monitor’s summary of public reporting, Aurora Police and mental health clinicians responded on April 9 to a reported behavioral health crisis involving a 23-year-old man.
Responders spent about 20 minutes trying to communicate and deescalate before the encounter escalated. The report says Garlington exited with a knife and stabbed Officer Mark Moore and K-9 Cyrus. Less-lethal tools were used, but proved ineffective, and Moore fired the fatal shots…