Several black leaders in Aurora are angry that the man who shot Aaron Davis won’t face criminal charges, as a grand jury has decided not to indict.
“I’m appalled they would come to that conclusion,” said Rev. Acen Phillips, who represents American Churches United. “To come back and say there is no cause is outrageous.”
Davis and his wife, Benita Coleman-Davis, both black, were shot in the parking lot of a Blockbuster video store by Glen Eichstedt, who is white, after the men argued about colliding car doors. Coleman-Davis recovered; her husband did not.
Eichstedt said he fired his weapon in self-defense after being struck by Davis with a metal bar. Many black residents believe Eichstedt wasn’t arrested because he is white.
The killing remains a tragedy in the city, said Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer, adding that he hopes the community can move forward together.
“I’m glad we went through this process and had an impartial grand jury looking at the facts,” he said. “As I understand it, there was no evidence of racial motivation in this incident. Even with that, we recognize it raises issues, and we’ve taken steps to address people’s concerns.”
Since the Nov. 13 shooting, many blacks said they felt stung that authorities never charged Eichstedt.
“I just feel that when a black person commits a crime, they are automatically locked up until there is an investigation,” said Wendy Sweeney, president of the Aurora Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. “But since Mr. Davis was African- American and his killer was a prominent restaurant owner and Caucasian, he was allowed to go about his business.”
Other leaders are waiting to learn more, said Gaurdie Banister of the Key Community Response Team, a city-sponsored group of citizens that looks into racial and social matters in Aurora. “To just react now wouldn’t make sense,” he said.
Many in the community didn’t trust the initial investigation.
“How do you shoot two people and call it self-defense?” said Glenda Wells-Evans, member of the Concerned Citizens about Minorities in Aurora.
Staff writer Jeremy Meyer contributed to this report.
Staff writer Elizabeth Aguilera can be reached at 303-820-1372 or eaguilera@denverpost.com.
