(Aug. 25, 2023) – An Aurora police officer was involved in a fatal shooting early Wednesday morning while responding to a confrontation between two people involving a firearm in the Del Mar Parkway neighborhood.
About 2:30 a.m., two officers were near the intersection of East Colfax Avenue and Havana Street monitoring for criminal activity on a mesh camera. Mesh is a network of cameras located throughout the city the Aurora Police Department uses to monitor traffic and to assist with criminal investigations.
The officers observed what appeared to be a dispute between two men over a backpack at the bus stop on the southwest corner of the intersection. Officers immediately responded when they observed one of those men produce a firearm and point it at the other man.
Officers arrived at the intersection and aired they were in contact with the armed man. Moments later, the officers aired shots had been fired. Only one officer discharged his firearm.
The armed man was struck by gunfire. Officers performed life-saving actions until Aurora Fire Rescue arrived. The man was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died of his injuries.
The other man involved in the initial dispute, later identified as Dominique Harris, 32, of Aurora, was located nearby and taken into custody. He was issued a summons for misdemeanor theft for attempting to steal the armed man’s backpack.
The officers were placed on immediate paid administrative leave, in accordance with agency policy. The two Aurora police officers are:
• Officer C. Parrella, a four-year veteran of the police department. Parrella is the officer who fired his weapon.
• Officer K. Carbajal-Vazquez, a one-year veteran of the police department. Officer Carbajal-Vazquez also responded and is a witness to the incident.
The officer-involved shooting is under investigation by the 18th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team. Aurora police’s Major Crime Homicide Unit is investigating the dispute between the two men. An Internal Affairs Bureau investigation also is underway.
The criminal investigation into the dispute and the internal administrative investigation will run concurrent with the Critical Incident Response Team investigation.
The deceased will be identified by the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office after notifications of next of kin.
The investigations are ongoing. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.STOP (7867).
Chief Art Acevedo provided an update about the incident from the scene to members of the local media. Visit the Aurora Police Department’s Twitter account to watch the briefing in its entirety.
Joe Moylan
Public Information Officer
720.432.5095
AP23-167468