Latest news with #ToddChamberlain
The Independent
12 hours ago
- The Independent
Suspected gang members terrorize Colorado apartment complex in shocking doorbell video
Chilling doorbell footage captures suspected gang members terrorizing an apartment complex in Colorado. Video from the Aurora Police Department shows a group of roughly nine individuals lurking outside of an apartment on June 9. Several of the suspects can be seen knocking at the door and aiming their guns. The residents did not open the door and the suspects eventually leave the premises. In a press conference Tuesday (17 June), Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said the residents who lived in the targeted apartment had just moved in from Venezuela two days prior to the incident. According to Chamberlain, the apartment complex has been the site of repeated criminal activity, with numerous reports of shots fired. Four suspects have been arrested. Police believe the incident is linked to Venezuelan gang activity that is rampant in the Aurora area. However, while Chamberlain noted similarities to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, he reportedly did not confirm that the group is connected.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Suspected Tren de Aragua gang members terrorize apartment complex in shocking doorbell video
An armed crew of nine suspected Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang members were caught on camera wreaking havoc at a Colorado apartment complex earlier this month, in an incident Aurora police are calling "very reminiscent" of the violence previously incited in the area by the Venezuelan gang. Doorbell video shows the group pointing guns and repeatedly knocking on an apartment door in a building near 6th Avenue and Potomac Street in Aurora, Colorado, on June 9, Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said during a press conference on Tuesday. "This might sound like déjà vu," Chamberlain said. "… We are addressing this actively, effectively and immediately." The people who lived in the apartment were also from Venezuela and had just moved in two days prior to the incident, Chamberlain noted, acknowledging that it's a good thing the residents did not open the door after hearing the knocking. Two Illegal Venezuelan Immigrants, Suspected Tda Gang Members Charged In Deadly Chicago Mass Shooting "I shudder to think what might have happened to them, but unfortunately that is what we have seen at that apartment complex, and it's what we've been dealing with," he said. Read On The Fox News App Emerging Venezuelan Gang 'More Violent' Than Tren De Aragua Targets Rural America, Expert Warns Following the incident, police began investigating and identifying the suspects in the video. On June 11 and 12, law enforcement arrested two suspects. Four others known to be involved in prior criminal activity were also detained, according to Aurora Police. 11 Alleged Teen Tren De Aragua Gang Members Attack Nypd Officers: Police The investigation to identify and arrest the remaining suspects in the video is ongoing. Since August of last year, the Aurora Police department has received 44 radio calls for service at the apartment complex, which they narrowed down to about 12 separate individual incidents. These calls were related to shots fired, kidnapping, assault, and more, Chamberlain said. "I want everyone to understand and to know that we are ahead of this," Chamberlain said. "This isn't something that we're reacting to. This is something that we are proactively addressing with everything that we can possibly do." The shocking footage comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement works to remove TdA from U.S. soil. In February, the U.S. declared TdA a global terrorist organization. Aurora is the third-largest city in Colorado with a population of more than 398,000, according to the City of Aurora website. Last summer, an Aurora apartment complex was at the center of the TdA gang takeover controversy after a viral video showed heavily armed gang members taking over an apartment by busting down the door with heavy artillery. Earlier this year, nine suspected TdA members were charged following a violent home invasion, kidnapping and robbery in Aurora. Aurora Police did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: Suspected Tren de Aragua gang members terrorize apartment complex in shocking doorbell video
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Aurora police investigate suspected gang activity at Colorado apartment complex, chief says suspects "must be stopped"
The Aurora Police Department is investigating suspected gang activity at an apartment complex that is reminiscent of last year's Tren de Aragua gang activity at another apartment complex in the Colorado city. The apartment complex in Aurora is near the intersection of 6th Avenue and Potomac Street. CBS During a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, Police Chief Todd Chamberlain spoke about an incident last week involving armed suspects at 544 Potomac Street. He played a video from June 9 showing several people armed with guns positioned in hallways and stairways, many of them knocking repeatedly on a unit's door. Aurora Police "The one thing I think is the positive about this is the individuals who had just moved into that apartment complex did not open that door," said Chamberlain. "Had they opened that door, I shudder to think of what might have happened to them." Chamberlain said the people living in that unit had moved from Venezuela just two days before, and he believes they are being victimized by others who also immigrated from Venezuela. "They are picking on a community that they are versed in. They are picking on a community that is the immigrant population in the city of Aurora. They are picking on a community that are primarily Venezuelan," said the chief. The police chief explained the June 9 incident was not the first time Aurora police had responded to the apartment complex near 6th Avenue and Potomac Street. Calls for service began in August 2024, he said, for at least 12 separate incidents including shots fired, squatters, assaults and a kidnapping. Chamberlain said the video was given to police by a neighbor. That video helped officers execute a search warrant on June 11, and officers also passed out flyers -- in English and Spanish -- and spoke to people living in the building about the concerning activity. Chamberlain noted that while there are problems in the complex, it is not a problem location. During their search, Chamberlain said detectives found a firearm and a red hoodie that was used by one of the suspects seen in the surveillance video. That suspect, 23-year-old Larry Galbreath, was arrested and faces charges including felony menacing with a firearm and violation of a protection order. Aurora Police Chamberlain explained Galbreath lives in the apartment complex and told police he was tattooed, or "marked," by a Venezuelan. "They are building networks by using other people," Chamberlain said of the influx of gang activity in that area. Police believe there are at least nine people involved in this incident, two of whom are now in custody, including Galbreath. Investigators are actively working to identify the others and take them into custody. While Chamberlain could not definitively say if this latest gang activity is Tren de Aragua, he said it is "disturbing" and he will use every resource he can -- local, state, and federal -- to hold them accountable. "The reason that I am sharing this video now is because I want everyone to understand and know that we are ahead of this. This isn't something that we are reacting to, this is something that we are proactively addressing," Chamberlain said. "I look at these individuals like a cancer. They are not a benign cancer, they are a cancer that is causing victimization, they are cancer that must be addressed, they must be cut out and they must be stopped." Chamberlain said, unlike the incident at the apartment complex last summer, the property owners and management company are cooperating with this investigation.
CBS News
25-05-2025
- CBS News
Man shot and killed by Aurora police in parking lot near Denver International Airport identified
The man who was shot and killed by an Aurora police officer in a parking lot near Denver International Airport earlier this month was identified by the Adams County Coroner's Office on Sunday. The man was identified by the coroner's office as 32-year-old Rashaud Terrelle Johnson of Aurora. He was shot and killed by an Aurora officer during a confrontation in a parking lot near East 56th Avenue and Himalaya Street on May 12. According to Aurora police officials, an employee of the private parking lot called police just before 3 p.m. to report a man trespassing in the lot and trying to break into cars. The employee said they were concerned for the safety of customers and workers at the lot. Officers arrived over two hours later after an Aurora officer was dispatched to the lot at 5:18 p.m., according to a call log from a department spokesman. Aurora police officers are seen at the scene of a deadly police shooting near East 56th Avenue and Himalaya Street on Monday, May 12, 2025. CBS Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said in a news conference that evening that the officer attempted to speak with Johnson. Chamberlain said Johnson attacked the officer, who's only been identified as a 4-year veteran of the department, who then attempted to shock Johnson with a Taser. Chamberlain said Johnson was on top of the officer, who got free and then shot Johnson. Backup was called and officers attempted to render aid to Johnson at the scene before he was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Chamberlain. The officer was also taken to the hospital and treated for injuries he sustained during the fight, Chamberlain said. The shooting is now under investigation by a Critical Incident Review Team, which doesn't include any Aurora officers, Chamberlain said. Aurora police have also launched an internal investigation to determine why it took over two hours to dispatch an officer to the scene of the call and why they only sent a single officer.
CBS News
25-05-2025
- CBS News
Aurora police say crime rates in the city are falling as they shift focus to prevention
Aurora police say crime rates in the city are falling as they shift focus to prevention Aurora police say crime rates in the city are falling as they shift focus to prevention Aurora police say crime rates in the city are falling as they shift focus to prevention For the second time in as many years, crime rates in the City of Aurora are falling according to police. It's part of a national trend, according to data from the FBI. Aurora's Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said his men and women in blue have also had a huge part in Aurora's decrease. He says they are being more productive. "Aurora is in a very different place than where it was," said Chamberlain. "We're down 22.2% in crime overall, we're also down right now as far as the number of radio calls. But we have an increase in the number of arrests." Crime rates in Aurora are still above the national median. According to the Aurora Transparency Portal, there were 20.1 thousand incidences of homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, arson, vehicle theft, sexual assault and theft in 2022. That dropped to 17.9 thousand in 2023 and 15.4 thousand in 2024. The lowest level the city has seen in the last 14 years was in 2011, with approximately 11.4 thousand incidents. Chamberlain said the recent increase in productivity and decrease in crime are thanks to a shift in focus from responding to crime to preventing it. "We are really using data as a, not just a speculation of what's going on, but on the reality of what's going on. And that data, in turn, is making sure that we are going at the right place at the right time, focusing on the right people, in the right events," said Chamberlain. That data-driven approach has led to effective policy changes, like changing their pursuit policy. "These officers they've been involved in almost, I think, 50 pursuits since that policy modification. Those pursuits, again, [are] not only impacting that crime of motor vehicle theft, which is a felony, but they're also tracking the other crimes that are occurring after those cars are stolen by those individuals," said Chamberlain. "Almost 80% of the individuals that have been stopped have long criminal histories where they're out taking these cars to go victimize other people." He said being tough on criminals is just half of the winning formula. The other half is building trust in the community. "It's not just about being proactive and saying, 'Hey, go out there and get them.' It's about measuring and making sure that we are doing it ethically," said Chamberlain. Chamberlain said he's helping his officers with a focus on their well-being and more support, which makes their jobs more enjoyable. "They're having the opportunity to do what they came on to do, what they came on to sign up for, which is to serve people," said Chamberlain. "I know it sounds corny and cliche, but that is the foundation of why most officers are here, is to have a positive impact in a person's life. And that's exactly what they're doing." Chamberlain said crime isn't the only thing down so far in 2025; he said personnel complaints are down as well as use of force.
