Family sues Aurora, Co., police officer over fatal shooting of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield
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The lawsuit accuses Officer Matthew Neely of excessive force and wrongful death after the Black man was fatally shot in 2025.
The family of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, a Black man fatally shot by an Aurora, Colorado, police officer last year, has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Officer Matthew Neely and Aurora. The lawsuit comes as Aurora remains under scrutiny over the killing of Kilyn Lewis and years after the city agreed to a $1.9 million settlement with a Black family mistakenly detained at gunpoint.
Sentinel Colorado reported that Belt-Stubblefield’s family filed the lawsuit Sunday in U.S. District Court in Colorado, seeking unspecified damages. The complaint accuses Neely of excessive force and wrongful death and alleges Aurora failed to correct longstanding problems involving racial bias and unnecessary force.
Neely shot Belt-Stubblefield, 37, on Aug. 30, 2025, after an attempted traffic stop ended with Belt-Stubblefield crashing his vehicle. Body-camera footage shows Belt-Stubblefield getting out with a gun and then throwing it away before the confrontation escalated.
The lawsuit alleges Neely punched Belt-Stubblefield, threatened to shoot him and later fired three times as the two men confronted each other. Belt-Stubblefield’s son was at the scene and can be heard telling both men to calm down. The final shot struck Belt-Stubblefield in the head.
Neely was charged in early August after a grand jury returned an indictment on one count of second-degree murder and one count of manslaughter. He has been placed on unpaid administrative leave. The criminal charges are separate from the family’s civil case and remain pending.
The lawsuit also points to Aurora’s history of police misconduct. A 2021 Colorado Attorney General investigation found a pattern of racially biased policing and excessive force in the department, leading to a consent decree requiring reforms and independent oversight.
The complaint alleges Aurora failed to adequately address those problems and cites previous complaints involving Neely. Sentinel Colorado reported that a 2019 internal affairs investigation found he violated department policies after a judge concluded testimony from Neely and another officer conflicted with body-camera footage.
Aurora officials told the outlet they are aware of the lawsuit but do not comment on pending litigation.
The family is represented by a legal team that includes civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who began calling for accountability after Belt-Stubblefield’s death last year.