Charges Lodged After ‘Drug Deal Gone Bad’, Officer-Involved Shooting in Aurora
The Aurora Police Department has secured multiple felony charges against three men in connection with a drug deal gone bad that ended in one of the men being shot by an Aurora police officer on Monday, Oct. 22.
According to an Aurora Police Department news release, Giovanni Padilla, 26, of the 300 block of Brown Court, Aurora, is charged with armed robbery, armed violence, five counts of unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession of cannabis.
(CREDIT: Google Maps)
Michael Paige, 18, of the first block of Senora Drive, Montgomery; and Tyron Smith, 18, of the 300 block of West 106th Street, Chicago, are both charged with armed robbery, armed violence, two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
The armed robbery and armed violence charges are Class X felonies and call for enhanced prison time upon conviction.
The investigation is ongoing. Police say Padilla, Paige and Smith went to an apartment in the 1100 block of North Farnsworth Avenue to purchase narcotics from other individuals there.
Once in the apartment, Padilla, Paige and Smith produced weapons and took the narcotics from the other individuals. They then fled the apartment, and the police were called.
One of the patrol officers who was in the parking lot of the police station heard the call and immediately responded to the northwest corner of Indian Trail and Farnsworth Avenue, where a short chase ensued, ending in an armed confrontation between Padilla and the officer.
Padilla was shot once and suffered a non-life threatening wound.
Responding officers rendered first aid to Padilla, who was transported by Aurora Fire Department paramedics to an Aurora hospital, where he was treated and released.
The officer was not injured during the encounter. A gun and drugs were recovered at the scene of the shooting.
Meanwhile, officers flooded the area in search of Paige and Smith. Smith was located in a back yard in the 700 block of Trask Street, Paige in a back yard in the 800 block of Trask. Both were taken into custody without incident.
Another gun and more narcotics were located by officers at the scene of the arrests. Neither suspect was injured.
The officer who fired his weapon is a 10-year department veteran. As is standard any time an Aurora police officer uses deadly force, he has been assigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of an internal investigation by the Aurora Police Office of Professional Standards.
“All of us at the Aurora Police Department are recognizing the assistance we received from the community during the event which brought it to a quick closure without additional injuries,” said APD spokesman Dan Ferrelli in a Facebook post. “All of the officers also showed quick response, professionalism and teamwork in a highly stressful situation.”
SOURCE: Aurora Police Department Facebook page
