Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason said Thursday his office will not bring criminal charges against Aurora Police Officer Brandon Mills in the May 12, 2025, shooting that killed 32-year-old Rashaud Johnson at an off-site airport parking lot. Mason said prosecutors could not disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mills’ use of force was unlawful, which effectively closes the criminal case. The announcement comes nearly a year after the encounter, even as Johnson’s family continues to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit.
In a formal review letter, Mason wrote that investigators found “no reasonable likelihood” of proving any criminal offense by the officer beyond a reasonable doubt and therefore declined to file charges, according to Sentinel Colorado. The decision was based on body-worn camera footage, witness interviews, and forensic testing, his office said.
What the Calls and Footage Show
Employees at The Parking Spot told 911 that a barefoot man was lingering in the lot and checking vehicle doors in the 19900 block of East 56th Avenue. An Aurora officer was dispatched in the evening and arrived within minutes, setting the starting point for the timeline investigators later reconstructed, as reported by the Denver Gazette.
Struggle, Shots, and Autopsy
According to Mason’s summary of body-worn camera video, Mills used baton strikes and deployed his Taser twice, with both attempts appearing ineffective, before Johnson tackled him and the two wrestled on the ground. Witnesses reported that Johnson tried to remove items from the officer’s gun belt. After the two separated, Mills drew his firearm, warned Johnson several times, including shouting “Stop! Get back! I’m going to … shoot you,” then fired two shots. An autopsy later found a fatal chest wound along with other injuries, and toxicology tests detected THC, according to Sentinel Colorado.
Family's Lawsuit
Johnson’s family filed a wrongful death complaint in Adams County District Court in August 2025, alleging the officer failed to provide timely medical aid and left their son to bleed. The suit seeks damages and accuses both the city and Officer Mills of using excessive force, according to the complaint filed by Rathod | Mohamedbhai.
At a news conference, the family’s attorney, Neil Sandhu, said parking lot attendants repeatedly told 911 that Johnson was unarmed and needed help, and that the public “will never know why Rashaud was behaving the way he did that day,” as reported by CBS Colorado. Sandhu and other lawyers argue that a jury should decide whether the shooting was justified and say the city must be held to account for how it responds to calls that appear tied to mental health crises.
Legal Context
Colorado law allows a peace officer to use deadly physical force only when it is reasonably necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury, and it requires officers to provide medical aid “as soon as practicable.” Those standards are laid out in C.R.S. 18-1-707, which guides how prosecutors and courts review police use of force. The statutory language is available in the Colorado Revised Statutes.
Aurora’s police department also remains under a state-supervised consent decree that was imposed after the 2019 death of Elijah McClain. As part of that agreement, the city’s compliance with new policies and practices is monitored through a separate oversight process, according to the City of Aurora.
What Comes Next
The DA’s decision ends the criminal inquiry but leaves the civil lawsuit and any administrative investigations in place. The outcome of the complaint, along with the city’s internal review, will determine whether there are civil damages or disciplinary action. Community advocates say the shooting underscores persistent gaps in noncriminal responses to people in crisis, and Mills was placed on paid administrative leave after the incident. At the same time, internal reviews continue, as previously reported by the Denver Gazette.
