Aurora city leaders said Thursday that they will look at possible training and policy changes even though a police review board cleared an off-duty officer who wrestled a disabled woman and her young daughter to the ground.
The board, made up of four citizens and four officers, ruled this week that Sgt. Charles DeShazer had not violated policies, but Mayor Ed Tauer said a review of policies is still necessary.
“We have terrific officers, but when you have great officers and an outcome you don’t like, I think that says we can look at the procedures,” Tauer said. “We’re not focused on the officer; we’re focusing on the procedures.”
Police Chief Daniel Oates had already announced that he would organize community forums to allow residents to talk to police.
On Thursday, Oates said the department will conduct an internal management review of police procedures and policies for officers who work off-duty security jobs.
In addition, the department’s in-service training program will be overhauled to emphasize de-escalating a crisis.
Upon completion of the reviews, which could take a month or so, Aurora’s city manager could recommend changes to the City Council, Tauer said.
It’s too early to tell if any changes would be made to off-duty policies or the department’s training program.
“There was a consensus from me, the deputy city manager and the city manager that we need to do something in light of this event,” Oates said.
“Every officer will get this training, but (we) have to figure out a curriculum and how we’ll incorporate it.”
The Aurora police union president said he would wait to hear details of the changes before commenting.
The review board had investigated claims of racial and physical abuse of Loree McCormick- Rice, 51, and her daughter, Cassidy, who was 12. The complaint centers on a June 17 incident in a grocery store parking lot where McCormick-Rice claimed De Shazer, who was working off- duty as a security guard, used a racial slur while he arrested them.
McCormick-Rice said she is glad to see the city is taking action. “Additional training would help. … It’s not right to handle a 127-pound woman and a child the way they would treat a criminal,” McCormick-Rice said.
“Officers shouldn’t be allowed to use an Aurora police vehicle while working off-duty, nor should they have the same powers as a police officer while working as a security guard.”
