Activists reflect two years after De’Von Bailey’s death
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Much has changed in Colorado in the two years since 19-year-old De'Von Bailey was shot and killed by Colorado Springs Police Officers as he tried to flee arrest on August 3, 2019.
Police received a 911 call alleging that an armed robbery took place near Memorial Hospital. De'Von Bailey, and his cousin, Lawrence Stoker, were in the area and matched the description of the suspects. When police tried to question them, Bailey ran. As he fled, Bailey was shot by the officers three times, he later died. Police found a gun in his waistband after they shot him.
His death sparked outrage in Colorado Springs, prompting protestors to hold demonstrations outside the Police Operations Center, speak out at City Council meetings, and disrupt local events.
The District Attorney's Office, a Grand Jury, and the FBI all cleared both officers, Sgt. Alan Van't Land and Officer Blake Evenson, of any wrongdoing for several reasons.
One of them was believed to be because of the "fleeing felon clause" that allows officers to shoot if they believe the person running from them committed a felony. Less than a year after Bailey's death, a new senate bill was signed into law changing that "fleeing felon clause".
The bill, Senate Bill 20-217, became a sweeping police accountability bill that mandates body-worn cameras for officers and changed deadly force standards.
Now, officers are only allowed to shoot if they believe the person running will cause imminent risk to human life if not apprehended. It also allows families to sue individual officers, rather than police departments as a whole.
In 2020, Bailey's parents were in attendance when Gov. Jared Polis signed the bill into law.
Community activist and friend of the Bailey family, Shaun Walls, said that bill provides a small sense of comfort in the wake of Bailey's death.
Walls said the two-year anniversary of Bailey's death is bittersweet.
"We have accomplished a lot, and the momentum was carried on," Walls said. "The city didn't forget De'Von Bailey's name."
Despite that progress, Walls believes there is still work to be done.
"We will continue to keep up the fight, because we are making headway and we'll get it to where we need it to be eventually," Walls said.
If De'Von Bailey had survived, he would be 21 years old this year.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article, and the video attached to this story, said that Bailey was shot 7 times. He was actually shot 3 times. This article has been updated to reflect that change.
