A Colorado sheriff’s office is facing backlash following the fatal shooting of a Black man at a Highlands Ranch entertainment center in February, with newly released video raising questions about the deputy’s actions and contradicting the official account, according to a Denver attorney representing the victim’s family.
The victim, 23-year-old Jalin Seabron, was shot nine times in the back after arming himself to protect relatives when someone else opened fire inside the venue moments earlier, leaving his one woman wounded.
The deadly incident unfolded just before midnight on Feb. 8, when a Douglas County deputy responded to reports of an active shooter at the Main Event, an arcade and entertainment center 30 minutes south of Denver. Video of the police shooting was released March 3.
The deputy alleged that upon arrival at the scene, he saw Seabron holding a gun in the parking lot. The deputy claimed Seabron pointed his gun at multiple people outside the arcade and ignored repeated commands to drop the weapon before being shot and killed within 15 seconds of the deputy’s car pulling up to the lot.
The deputy reportedly leveled a rifle at Seabron and approached him, shouting, “Hey, drop the gun! Drop the gun now!” reports said.
Just minutes earlier, before the deputy arrived, gunfire had erupted inside the venue after a brawl in the women’s bathroom. There, 23-year-old Nevaeha Crowley-Sanders allegedly confronted several women she believed had previously attacked and robbed her.
Outnumbered by her assailants, Crowley-Sanders retrieved a firearm and allegedly shot one person. During the chaos, Seabron escorted his pregnant girlfriend outside while holding his own gun up in the parking lot, where police would encounter him.
Crowley-Sanders was arrested at the scene and later charged with five counts of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, and several other offenses. Six others allegedly involved in the confrontation or shooting were also arrested and face a range of charges, including accessory to attempted first-degree murder, menacing, assault, and evidence tampering.
In spite of this, Seabron had already been shot dead in the parking lot — mistaken by police as the real threat.
From the moment the deputy stepped out of his cruiser, barely seven seconds passed before gunfire erupted, according to CBS News. In just three seconds, he shouted his first command and pulled the trigger, unloading nine rounds in rapid succession. When the gunfire ceased, Seabron lay dead.
Investigators have not indicated whether Seabron was involved in the shooting inside the venue, but they believe he was with Crowley-Sanders and others that night. According to Seabron’s family attorney, Tyrone Glover, the group was at The Main Event to celebrate his birthday.
Douglas County sheriff’s officials stated that Seabron aimed his gun at multiple people outside the arcade and refused repeated commands from the deputy to drop his weapon.
Watch the video released by the sheriff’s department below:
However, Glover has challenged the sheriff’s account, arguing that the new video contradicts those claims and proves the shooting was unjustified.
“Today, video footage of the fatal shooting of Jalin Seabron by a Douglas County Sheriff’s deputy has been released, confirming what Jalin’s family has maintained since viewing the footage: this shooting was unjustified, unnecessary, and in direct violation of the Sheriff Office’s own policies and procedures,” Glover said. “The video evidence directly contradicts multiple statements made by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office regarding the circumstances of Jalin’s death.”
Watch the video released by the family’s attorney below:
The video released by the sheriff’s office reveals that the deputy did not announce himself as law enforcement before firing, despite having his emergency lights on. In the video, a sheriff’s office narrator claims Seabron turned toward the deputy before the fatal shots were fired.
“My deputy heard on the radio: ‘shooting, multiple reports of shots heard, gunshots,’” Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said. “The gunman pointed his gun at several people and refused multiple commands to put his gun down before turning toward my deputy. These situations unfold very quickly, and this individual forced my deputy to make a split-second life-or-death decision. It’s a decision that no law enforcement officer ever wants to make, but one that could not be avoided.”
Sheriff’s officials claimed the deputy had “no choice” but to shoot Seabron when he turned toward him.
“We stand by our statement that we put out. That’s all we’ll release at this time due to it being an open investigation,” Douglas County Sheriff Public Information Officer Deborah Takahara said when asked about Glover’s assertions about the deputy’s actions. “When you see the video … it shows exactly what happened. We stand by the statement that he was pointing a gun at other people and he turned toward our deputy.”
The family’s attorney, however, argues that Seabron was focused on protecting his family and only turned his head toward the deputy before being shot, and he never raised his gun to shoot anyone.
“Jalin’s back was turned to the deputy when shots were fired,” Glover said in a statement. “The deputy shot Jalin nine times in the back.”
In another statement obtained by The Denver Post, Glover said, “The video footage confirms our worst fears. Jalin Seabron, a young man celebrating his 23rd birthday, was unjustifiably gunned down while trying to protect his family.”
Glover suggested that Seabron’s attention had been focused on the entrance of The Main Event, where his group had just fled from gunfire, causing him to be distracted from the officer’s commands.
“Jalin was in defensive mode, not attacking mode,” Glover told CBS News Colorado. “If you look at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office own policies and procedures, you have to warn someone; give them an opportunity to comply with warning. You have to identify yourself as an officer of the law.”
The sheriff’s office stated that the video was released unedited and included footage from security cameras, dashcams, and body-worn cameras. However Glover cast doubt on the authenticity of the video, pointing out that it was spliced together and included narration.
“I think we knew they were going to heavily edit this footage,” he said, “doing stuff in slow-mo, leaving certain things out, having these voiceovers where they’re adding argument and color, when you don’t get the benefit of what’s actually going on, (it) just doesn’t do the facts justice.”
Glover announced his plans to file a civil lawsuit against the sheriff’s office.
