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Officers who killed man armed with BB gun near DIA won't face charges

Aurora Police officers didn't know the weapon Abel Yohannes had was actually a BB gun when they shot and killed him, the Denver District Attorney's Office ruled.

DENVER — A shooting in October 2022 involving Aurora Police (APD) officers near Denver International Airport (DIA) that left a man dead was determined to be justified, the Denver District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.

On Oct. 1, APD officers responded around 2 a.m. to a reported robbery at a 7-Eleven located at Sable Boulevard and Colfax Avenue, according to Denver Police (DPD). The clerk reported a man shoplifted some items and left the store.

The clerk followed the man, later identified as 30-year-old Abel Yohannes, to his black SUV to confront him, and Yohannes responded by pulling out what appeared to be a long, black shotgun, the DA's office said. A witness then pulled out a handgun and told Yohannes to put his gun down, causing him to drive off.

> The video above is from October 2022.

An APD officer who responded to a separate call a few hours later located a car fitting the suspect vehicle's description in the parking lot of a motel. When officers confronted Yohannes, he drove off, according to the DA's office.

Officers pursued Yohannes on Peña Boulevard, and were able to stop him at the Pikes Peak Shuttle parking lot by performing a PIT maneuver, bringing his car to a stop against a concrete barrier.

Yohannes ignored officers' commands to show his hands and reached for what they believed to be the shotgun the clerk reported Yohannes had, and fired several shots at Yohannes, according to the DA's office.

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It was later determined the weapon was a BB gun, which officers did not know at the time of the shooting, the DA's office said.   

“When you couple the 7-11 incident with Yohannes’ non-compliant behavior, a high-speed car chase, and his decision to ignore officer commands and instead reach for a gun, these officers had a reasonable belief that they were in imminent danger of being seriously injured or killed,” said Denver District Attorney Beth McCann. “Based on all the evidence and Colorado law, I find the officers’ response to be reasonable and legally justified.”

McCann will hold a virtual community meeting to discuss the incident and her conclusion from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3.

> Read the full decision letter from the Denver District Attorney's Office.

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