Aurora police released video showing Officer Mark Moore shooting and killing a suspect who stabbed him several times during a confrontation.
The incident highlights the immediate dangers police face during street encounters and the use of lethal force in response to knife attacks.
The encounter occurred in a neighborhood near Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora, Colorado [2]. According to police reports, Officer Moore was stabbed multiple times, including in the head [2]. The suspect was identified as 23-year-old Amare James Garlington [1].
Following the stabbing, Officer Moore used his firearm to neutralize the threat. Garlington died as a result of the shooting [1, 2]. The police department released the footage to provide transparency regarding the officer's actions during the struggle.
"Thank God our officer is not dead," the Aurora Police Chief said [2].
The department said that the suspect posed an immediate threat to the officer's life, which prompted the use of lethal force [1, 2]. The video serves as the primary record of the sequence of events leading to the fatal shooting.
“Officer Mark Moore was stabbed several times and then shot the suspect, who died.”
The release of body-worn or surveillance footage in officer-involved shootings is a standard procedural step to maintain public trust and provide evidence for internal and external investigations. In this case, the evidence of a stabbing provides the legal and tactical justification for the use of deadly force under Colorado law.
