GEO Guard Shoots Protester Outside Aurora ICE Facility, Judge Orders Trial

A Colorado judge found probable cause Wednesday to try Brandon Booth, a GEO Group corrections officer who fired at protesters outside the Aurora ICE Processing Center.

GEO Contract Guard to Stand Trial After Shooting Protester Outside Denver Immigration Facility

A Colorado judge ruled Wednesday that prosecutors have met their burden of proof to try a private corrections officer who shot a protester outside an Aurora immigration detention facility, Courthouse News Service reports.

"The court is going to find the prosecution has met its burden as pertains to both counts," said 17th District Judge Martin Flaum.

Brandon Booth, 42, is employed by the GEO Group — the contractor that manages the Aurora ICE Processing Center near Denver — not by the federal government. On July 16, protesters blocked the facility's entrance gate, preventing Booth from clocking in for his shift.

According to defense attorney Julia Stancil, Booth attempted to avoid the crowd out of fear of being filmed or attacked on social media. Two women at the scene, 22-year-old Emma Landis and 38-year-old Mandy Dillon, directed vulgar insults at Booth and other contract workers, calling him — who is Black — a "race traitor" and "Nazi," according to Aurora Police Sergeant Gabriel Nestor, who testified at the hearing.

The women then told Booth they had his license plate number and would find his children's school. Nestor described Booth's resulting anger as "15-out-of-10."

Booth drew a pistol loaded with brass training ammunition and fired toward the two women, striking Landis in the foot. Nestor testified that Booth told him he had not been trying to hit any vital areas and wanted to "split the difference" — shooting between them to frighten them.

After officers pursued him, Booth acknowledged he had "just did some dumb shit," Nestor recalled.

Prosecutors charged Booth with one count of assault with extreme indifference and one count of criminal intent to commit assault. Chief Deputy District Attorney Sara Carty argued that the evidence satisfied the standard for universal malice.

"Universal malice is defined as the depravity of human heart without knowing or caring about who the victim is," Carty told the court. "The evidence is Mr. Booth was angered by Ms. Landis and Ms. Dillon's comments about his children so he drew his firearm and fired between them."

Booth is scheduled for arraignment on October 28.

Source: Courthouse News Service