Family of Black man shot while holding cellphone want murder trial for SWAT officer

DENVER (AP) — The family of a Black man holding a cellphone when he was fatally shot by a SWAT officer called Thursday for a murder trial for the officer following the public release of portions of body camera footage of the shooting.

Kilyn (KAI-lin) Lewis, 37, was shot as officers moved in to arrest him in the parking lot of a condo building in the Denver suburb of Aurora on May 23. The officers, who appear to emerge from unmarked vehicles, are heard on video shouting at him to get on the ground. After taking a few steps next to his car and putting his right hand behind his back, Lewis appears to surrender, raising his arms in the air.

He was holding what was later identified as a cellphone in his right hand, interim Police Chief Heather Morris said in a produced video released by police that includes portions of the body camera footage. Morris also pointed out that Lewis put his hand in his left pocket before raising his hands.

Just as Lewis is bending his legs, as if to get on the ground, an officer fired a single shot at Lewis. Lewis says, “I don’t have nothing. I don’t have nothing. I don’t have nothing.”

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«RELATED COVERAGE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> RELATED COVERAGE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Black man pistol-whipped by Colorado officer testifies that he feared for his life </bsp-custom-headline> </bsp-list-loadmore>

The other officers did not fire at Lewis. An arrest warrant had been issued for Lewis after he was suspected of being involved in a May 5 shooting in Denver that injured a man, according to Morris and court