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Naked intruder shot by Aurora homeowner was a known gang member

An Aurora police officer on Monday shot a man, Richard Black, after Black shot an intruder, according to the family attorney. The intruder has since been identified as Dajon Harper, a known gang member with a lengthy criminal history.
Dajon Harper, 26, of Aurora

The naked intruder who was shot and killed by an Aurora homeowner earlier this week was Dajon Harper, a 26-year-old known gang member, 9Wants to Know has confirmed through multiple sources.

Harper has a long criminal history. He was convicted of aggravated motor vehicle theft at age 14, according to records obtained by 9Wants to Know, and has been arrested numerous times, court documents showed.

Harper died after being shot by the homeowner, 73-year-old Richard “Gary” Black Jr., who in turn died after being shot by an Aurora police officer.

According to court documents, Harper is a known gang member who has been in and out of prison and was released in February from the Colorado Department of Corrections.

According to documents obtained by 9Wants to Know, Harper was arrested and convicted multiple times as a juvenile – for theft in 2003, when he would have turned 11, theft and aggravated motor vehicle theft in 2006, and robbery in 2009.

Arrest records show Harper’s adult criminal record starting at 18, with charges that include trespassing, distribution of dangerous drugs, child abuse, attempted murder, domestic violence, assaulting a peace officer and theft.

Harper first entered the state prison system as an adult in 2012 after a conviction of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, according to state DOC records. He was released on parole later that year, moved back into a community corrections center in 2013, released on parole again, accused of absconding, put back in jail and finally finished his sentence in that case in October 2013.

He went to prison again in 2014 after being convicted of menacing, was paroled in 2016, had his parole revoked in 2017 and was released from prison Feb. 14.

Multiple members of Harper’s family have declined to comment on the situation.

According to Qusair Mohamedbhai, an attorney representing Black’s family, an intruder broke into Black’s home, grabbed Black’s 11-year-old grandson, who was sleeping on a couch, and dragged him to a bathroom, where he attacked him.

Mohamedbhai added that Black and the boy's father tried to pull the attacker off the child, but Black eventually grabbed his gun and shot and killed the intruder.

Black was licensed as a certified public accountant in Colorado from 1999 to 2008.

The trouble started with multiple 911 calls just before 1:30 a.m. Monday reporting a disturbance in the area of East Montview Boulevard and Iola Street.

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