The Claremont Speedway will host a memorial race Friday night for Cody LaFont, the 25-year-old man killed by a city police officer in 2016.
That officer, Ian Kibbe, is now facing trial for charges that he lied in written reports to justify performing a search earlier this year.
After LaFont’s death, Kibbe said LaFont had threatened him with a gun. The state Attorney General’s office found Kibbe’s use of force justified, but investigators are now reviewing the case in light of the recent charges.
LaFont’s family insists Kibbe’s testimony about the incident didn’t match the young man they knew.
Melissa LaFont, Cody’s stepmother, says she’s expecting packed stands at Friday's race.
“We want to keep Cody’s memory alive, and this was his passion,” she said. “He loved being at the racetrack.”
When he was killed, Cody LaFont was working on a car, a green hatchback, she said. His dad has since fixed it up, with a photo of Cody on the hood with angel wings.
Kibbe’s trial is scheduled to begin in December.
