The family of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, a 37-year-old Black father fatally shot by an Aurora, Colorado, police officer last year, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the officer and the city.
The lawsuit comes weeks after Officer Matthew Neely was indicted on second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in Belt-Stubblefield’s death.
Neely was indicted on August 3 by the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, according to CBS Colorado. He surrendered after an arrest warrant was issued and was placed on unpaid administrative leave. Neely was later released on a $200,000 bond. The indictment is not a finding of guilt.
The August 2025 encounter began after Neely attempted to stop Belt-Stubblefield following a crash.
According to body cam footage, obtained by Police1, Belt-Stubblefield got out of his vehicle and told Neely, “Don’t shoot me,” before throwing a handgun into the grass. Footage also shows Neely attempting to punch Belt-Stubblefield during the encounter.
His teenage son, Zion Murphy, was nearby and urged both men to “chill.”
After discarding the gun, Belt-Stubblefield continued moving toward Neely as the officer allegedly ordered him to stop and stay back. Neely then fired three shots, striking Belt-Stubblefield twice in the chest and once in the head, according to the indictment.
On August 30, Belt-Stubblefield’s family filed a 144-page federal civil rights lawsuit against Neely and Aurora, alleging wrongful death, excessive force and civil rights violations.
The lawsuit also alleges Neely faced complaints involving racial profiling or racially selective traffic enforcement in 2014, 2020, 2022 and 2025. Aurora determined those complaints were unfounded, according to Axios.
The family is represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has questioned why Neely remained with the department despite previous complaints about his conduct.
The lawsuit comes amid scrutiny of the Aurora Police Department. A 2021 investigation by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office found a pattern and practice of racially biased policing and excessive force within the police department.
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