Colorado Police Officer Indicted After Shooting Violent Drunk Driver

AURORA, CO — A police officer in Aurora, Colorado has been indicted on charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter after he fatally shot a drunk driver who attempted to assault him.

Matthew Neely, 54, has been released from jail after posting a $200,000 bond.

The incident occurred Aug. 30, 2025, when Neely attempted to pull over Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, 37, on suspicion of driving under the influence.

It was later determined that Belt-Stubblefield had a blood-alcohol content of 0.274, which was more than three times the legal limit.

Belt-Stubblefield refused to pull over and instead led Neely on a chase before he crashed into two vehicles.

At that point, Neely got out of his vehicle and drew his gun on Belt-Stubblefield, ordering him to put his hands up and stay in the car.

Belt-Stubblefield refused to comply and got out of his car before throwing a handgun.

The man continued to close the distance between him and the officer while ignoring numerous commands. At one point, Neely pushed him away while still pointing a gun at him.

Belt-Stubblefield told his 18-year-old son, who was riding with him, to retrieve his gun. He then said, “You ready for this?” while putting his fists up in the air as if preparing to fight the officer. 

Neely was eventually backed up into the road with oncoming traffic before firing his weapon as the man charged toward him.

Despite all of this being caught on body cam footage, Arapahoe County District Attorney Amy Padden presented the case to a grand jury, which returned an indictment.

Mainstream media has seized on the fact that the officer was white and the victim was black, though race doesn’t appear to have played a factor in the officer’s actions.

Not surprisingly, civil rights attorney Ben Crump has also taken up the case.

“He was unnecessarily, unjustifiably, and unconstitutionally executed right before his son’s face,” Crump said.

Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain praised his officers for their service to the city.

“Officers are routinely called on to address — sometimes in seconds — dangerous and rapidly evolving situations they did not create,” Chamberlain said. “I am confident that all the facts will be fully examined through due process. As with any case, these filing charges are not a determination of guilt.”

Neely is expected in court Aug. 17.