AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Several callers spoke during the public comment portion of the Aurora Civil Service Commission meeting Tuesday, protesting three officers’ attempts to reverse their July terminations.

“There is no question these officers have demonstrated that they have no business patrolling our streets,” said Jen, a concerned Aurora resident who spoke during the meeting.

“If you have any sense at all of any empathy of a human being, they shouldn’t be (re-instated),” said Christian, another concerned citizen.

According to the City of Aurora, Erica Marrero, Kyle Dittrich, and Jason Rosenblatt are each hoping to appeal their cases during hearings in front of the Aurora Civil Service Commission in January and February.

All three of their hearings were originally scheduled for December, but each were rescheduled as the officers are hoping to argue their cases in-person and current COVID-19 restrictions will not permit that.

Rosenblatt, who is also suing the city as a result of his termination, will argue his case beginning Jan. 21, and Marrero and Dittrich will argue their cases starting Feb. 1.

All three have asked for the hearings to be closed to the public, according to the City. There will be no public records available until the commission makes a ruling.

The police chief terminated the trio in July, and a fourth officer, Jaron Jones, resigned after a texting scandal linked to the death of Elijah McClain.

Dittrich, Marrero, and Jones were accused of posing, smiling, and simulating the police technique called the carotid control hold in an October 2019 photo near the Aurora location where Rosenblatt and two other officers struggled with McClain a few months earlier before he died. Rosenblatt was accused of responding to the text message by saying, “Haha.”

That altercation with McClain  – in which the carotid control hold was administered in an attempt to subdue him – is now under local, state, and federal investigation.