AURORA, Colo. — Don't call it a breakup, but two of Colorado's largest cities may be pausing the relationship that allows them to share police resources.
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman is proposing the split because of a spat over who should pay for lawsuits related to policing at the 2020 protests in Denver.
Aurora has already filed suit against the City of Denver because of this dispute. Now, Coffman proposes a break in the broader police mutual aid deal.
Aurora said Denver Police asked for officers to help manage the unrest, and now Aurora officers are named in four civil rights lawsuits related to how police handled the crowds.
Coffman believes Denver should pay to defend the officers or settle the lawsuits for actions that happened while those officers were under Denver Police command.
"I think they know what their responsibilities are. I know what their responsibilities are, and they need to live up to their responsibilities," he said.
A spokesperson for Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said Hancock and Coffman have a "fundamental disagreement on this issue."
"We believe Aurora is taking an overly broad interpretation of the indemnity provisions in the mutual aid statute," spokesperson Michael Strott said in an email to 9NEWS. "Our legal teams have been in close contact on this question for months and agreed that asking the court – a neutral party – to decide the scope of indemnification was the best approach."
Coffman said he doesn't think a court case should be necessary and believes Denver isn't holding up its end of the deal.
"I think it's ridiculous," he said. "I think it should've just been understood."
He plans to ask the Aurora City Council to put a pause on the mutual aid agreement at its July 17 meeting.
Coffman said he is not concerned that pausing the deal with Denver Police will impact every day police work, particularly along the borders between the cities, where he said officers will continue to cooperate.
Coffman said he would re-engage with Denver if the incoming mayor agreed to defend the Aurora officers from 2020 protest lawsuits and defend APD against any future litigation for its work under the agreement.
Mayor Mike Johnston's office said it is aware of the disagreement and that the cities have asked a court to decide who should foot the bill.
"As we await the court’s decision, I look forward to working with Mayor Coffman and the City of Aurora to help ensure a safe and vibrant metro area," Johnston said in a statement to 9NEWS.
Coffman said he hopes the two cities can work something out.
"I think it’s very tragic that it’s come to this point. But I cannot in good conscience send our officers to the city and county of Denver again if they're not going to defend our officers," he said.
In a statement to 9NEWS on Tuesday, a Denver Police spokesperson said "DPD can confirm that the proposal will not affect DPD’s approach to day-to-day operations and investigations of incidents that overlap our jurisdictions."
An Aurora Police spokesperson said "Unfortunately we are not commenting on the mayor's proposal to end mutual aid efforts with DPD at this time."
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