Lawyer: Man killed by cop shot intruder to protect grandson

AURORA, Colo. — A decorated Vietnam War veteran woke up to the sound of his front door crashing in and saw a naked intruder attack his grandson, so he acted to protect his loved ones, according to his family’s lawyer.

As the man tried to choke and drown the boy in the bathroom, Richard Black and his son desperately tried to pull him off early Monday, even poking him in the eyes, before the 73-yearold grabbed his 9 mm handgun and shot the intruder twice in the chest, lawyer Siddhartha H. Rathod said.

Soon after, police responding to 911 calls shot and killed Black in his house outside Denver.

It’s the fourth police shooting in the city of Aurora in about a month. Police say the officer who killed Black also was involved in another fatal shooting on June 27 that is still being investigated.

Black’s wife, Jeanette, had called authorities from outside the house, describing her husband and son, who are white, and the intruder, who was black, Rathod said.

“Mr. Black did everything right. His actions saved his grandson’s life. He should be in the mayor’s office getting a commendation for his heroism. Instead he’s in the morgue,” the attorney said Tuesday.

Police in Aurora have released only some other details as they investigate the shooting in the racially mixed neighborhood of mostly ranch homes, saying they need to balance transparency with ensuring a credible investigation.