The Aurora City Council officially approved a statement of empathy and mourning for people who have lost loved ones to officer-involved shootings at Monday night’s meeting.

The resolution, proposed by Councilmember Rob Andrews, passed with three ‘no’ votes from Councilmembers Angela Lawson, Francoise Bergan and Stephanie Hancock.

Andrews created the resolution in response to two years of protesters attending every City Council meeting to criticize the Aurora Police Department and talk about lives lost to officer-involved shootings.

Notably, family members and supporters of Kilyn Lewis have advocated for charges to be filed against, and for the firing of, the APD officer who shot Lewis.

Lewis, 37, was shot by SWAT Ofc. Michael Dieck on May 23, 2024, while officers were attempting to arrest Lewis on an attempted murder warrant. He was not armed.

Dieck’s use of deadly force was deemed justified by a Critical Incident Response Team, the 18th Judicial District Attorney, and an internal APD investigation.

The resolution states that the APD has “been involved in officer-involved shootings in recent years” and “some incidents have resulted in lost lives, leaving families with profound loss, grief, and mental anguish.”

It then states that the council “expresses sorrow for the loss of life, particularly when life is lost during interactions with government institutions entrusted with public safety, including law enforcement.”

Councilmembers who opposed the resolution said it is unbalanced and will not ultimately do anything to appease the protesters.

Those in support said it is the council’s responsibility to listen to the community and express empathy when they are grieving.

Several community members also spoke in favor of the resolution, and one, Michael Hancock, spoke in opposition.

MiDian Shofner, who has led protest efforts against the APD, and several other supporters said the resolution is not enough but is a good start.

“While this resolution is an opportunity for you all to engage in thoughtful language … the resolution is not structural change,” Shofner said. “This is an opportunity for you as a council to simply say ‘we hear you’.”

Hancock, the sole opposing public speaker, said the resolution is confusing and does not fall in line with the role of government.

“Opposing this resolution is not the same thing as opposing compassion,” Hancock said. “Every death is a loss, but not every loss is an injustice.”

Councilmember Curtis Gardner voted for the resolution.

“I think it’s disappointing that some have framed this as anti-police. I don’t think it’s anti-police. I think it’s an acknowledgement that there is hurt and pain in the community,” Gardner said. “I have a long history of being supportive of our police department. There are certainly things that have happened in the past, though, that have had an impact on our community, and I think it’s appropriate to acknowledge that and I don’t think that’s an anti-police position.”

The resolution passed with yes votes from Councilmembers Andrews, Gardner, Gianina Horton, Alli Jackson, Alison Coombs, Amy Wiles and Ruben Medina.