The family of Rashaud Johnson, an unarmed man who was shot and killed by an Aurora police officer this spring, sued the Aurora Police Department and the officer on Tuesday.

Lawyers for the family say Officer Brandon Mills did not properly de-escalate the situation before he shot Johnson twice in the torso. Johnson’s hands were visibly empty, the lawsuit states.

“Officer Mills should have, as every officer is trained to do, de-escalated the situation using time, cover and distance,” said Neil Sandhu, one of the family’s attorneys. The family is being represented by the law firm Rathod Mohamedbhai.

The shooting happened May 12 at an off-site parking lot serving Denver International Airport. Parking lot staff had called 911 to report that a man was trying to get into cars and needed help.

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