Chamberlain worked in the LAPD from 1984 to 2018, rising to the rank of commander. He oversaw more than 1,800 personnel across six divisions — and as protesters at the council meeting noted, he was with the LAPD during the Rodney King beatings and subsequent riots in 1991 and 1992. After 2018, Chamberlain worked as the police chief for the Los Angeles Unified School District; most recently, he was a public safety consultant and a lecturer at California State University Los Angeles.
Aurora City Council meetings have been held up by protesters over police shootings for over a month. The hearing confirming Chamberlain on August 26 had vocal opposition, as well.
Auon'tai Anderson, CEO of the Center for Advancing Black Excellence in Education and former Denver School Board vice president, said during the hearing that councilmembers needed to vote "not no, but hell, no" before blasting Aurora's government for leaving out a community input process.
"This is a travesty. No one was involved? No community meetings? Nothing? At the last community meeting, we didn't even have the opportunity to know he was your sole finalist," Anderson said. "When we see an individual hopping from place to place to place, hoping he can get a job as the chief of police, is Aurora truly going to be the city that says, 'Come on over here. We'll get you if you've been rejected?'"
MiDian Shofner, CEO of the Epitome of Black Excellence and Partnership, called out Aurora City Manager Jason Batchelor for telling media ahead of the hiring that the city couldn't hold community input meetings in order to protect privacy and positions of its candidates, who might have been working with another city while interviewing for the job.
"The irony that Todd was not even in a current position was not lost on me," Shofner said. "You didn't have a problem getting qualified candidates in the pool because of the public knowing what they're doing. You had a problem because this is the Aurora Police Department. Nobody wants this job."
Shofner, Anderson and members of Kilyn Lewis's family were at Monday's meeting as part of the Justice for Kilyn Action Team, the group that has organized protests at previous council meetings. Lewis, 37, was shot by APD SWAT officers on May 5, while they were trying to arrest him as a suspect in a shooting near the intersection of 48th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. Officers shot Lewis while yelling at him to get on the ground; right after Lewis was shot, he yelled back, "I don't have nothing!" with his hands up.
Other protesters who spoke to councilmembers mentioned incidents from Chamberlain's past. Shofner and others mentioned a quote from Chamberlain during an August 22 press conference where he was announced as the nominee for Aurora's police chief. He said, "The use of force is going to happen" because it's "the unfortunate reality of what life is like in law enforcement." "Hearing this man say use of force is always going to happen in policing, I dropped my jaw," said Aaron Futrell, an Aurora resident and activist. "When you're choosing a man who is saying he believes in the use of force, you're creating a situation where there's going to be another Elijah McClain, another Kilyn Lewis."
Others brought up a 2009 incident involving LAPD officers under Chamberlain's command in which a Black officer was given watermelon and fried chicken for his twentieth anniversary with the LAPD. This led to a lawsuit in 2011 that ended with a jury awarding the harassed officer $1.2 million.
"When we talk about an individual who was overseeing an officer who was called the 'N word,' left a piece of fried chicken on his desk with watermelon slices, is that the chief of police Aurora needs?" Anderson said. "Not no, but hell, no."
Auon'tai Anderson led protesters after they were led out of the Aurora City Council chambers on August 26.
Bennito L. Kelty
Protesters in the audience scoffed; several said "Nope" and shook their heads at Bergan's response.
When the city council voted to approve Chamberlain's hire, the protesters broke out into chants of "Shut it down" and "Ninety-five days," which is the amount of time since Lewis died on May 23. After Mayor Mike Coffman failed to calm them by banging his gavel, he stood up and left the room, a tactic Coffman has used before in response to the same group of protesters.
Protesters continued to chant for a few more minutes before the rest of the council followed Coffman out of the chambers. Security escorted the small crowd of protesters out of the chambers, and once the council continued its meeting in a new room, several councilmembers said that they were happy with Chamberlain's hiring despite the protests.
"I want to welcome Todd Chamberlain. I think that's a good, solid man right there," Councilman Steve Sundberg said. "He's going to help us fight crime, he's going to help us build trust in the community. ... I trust him, and my confidence is with him."
"I want to echo the fact that I think we made a very good choice in choosing Todd Chamberlain after a lot of rigorous process," Councilwoman Stephanie Hancock said. "He is the best candidate for where we are right now. He knows the job's dangerous, but he's here for it."
Councilmembers Ruben Medina and Crystal Murillo voted against the appointment. Murillo said it was because of the lack of community input during the hiring process. Medina made no comment on his vote.
Councilmembers Ruben Medina and Crystal Murillo voted against the appointment. Murillo said it was because of the lack of community input during the hiring process. Medina made no comment on his vote.
Meanwhile, protesters continued chanting in the hall outside the emptied chambers, and then outside in the dark once city hall closed.
Colorado's third-biggest city hasn't had a permanent police chief since Vanessa Wilson was fired by city officials in 2022 amid allegations of mismanagement and sinking officer morale. Wilson was also dating Robin Niceta, a disgraced social worker now serving four years in prison for falsely accusing Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky of child abuse.
Aurora police have been under scrutiny from the Colorado Attorney General's Office since 2021, when the city was forced to come up with a consent decree laying out certain police reforms to gain back public trust. The consent decree was prompted by a pattern of racially biased policing and excessive use of force, as well as the 2019 killing of Elijah McClain.
Aurora police have been under scrutiny from the Colorado Attorney General's Office since 2021, when the city was forced to come up with a consent decree laying out certain police reforms to gain back public trust. The consent decree was prompted by a pattern of racially biased policing and excessive use of force, as well as the 2019 killing of Elijah McClain.
