Stunning footage launched Monday reveals off-duty Atlanta police officer Aubree Horton in sheer panic, presumably experiencing “a psychological well being episode,” moments earlier than he was fatally shot whereas allegedly attempting to interrupt right into a neighbor’s dwelling.
Horton is seen operating shirtless by way of a road in Winston, Ga., shouting at round 5:08 a.m. on Oct. 4., video launched by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Workplace reveals.
The 39-year-old cop, who lived within the space, may be heard screaming “Jesus save us” and “Assist me” earlier than he reaches a neighbor’s entrance door within the St. Andrews Nation Membership neighborhood.
The off-duty officer is then seen on Ring doorbell footage operating full pace as much as his neighbor’s entrance door, nonetheless shouting for assist, and seems to attempt to open it by the deal with, however is unable to get inside.
Horton then slams into the door shoulder first.
The home-owner seems to shout one thing at Horton from inside the home, to which he shouts, “No, kill me,” earlier than once more throwing himself into the door.
Showing exhausted, he sits on the entrance porch steps, places his fingers over his face, and breathes deeply.
“Who’re you?!” the neighbor may be heard shouting from inside the house earlier than calling for his spouse.
After a quick second of silence, Horton then randomly shouts, “I really like you,” earlier than letting out a chilling scream and mendacity down on the porch.
The house’s entrance porch lights activate, and the proprietor may be heard screaming his spouse’s identify once more.
Horton then jumps to his toes and approaches the door earlier than the video ends.
Douglas County Sheriff Tim Kilos mentioned in a assertion Monday that Horton then forcibly rushed into the house when the door was cracked open and knocked the home-owner to the bottom.
“Fearing for his life and in protection of his dwelling, the home-owner discharged a single spherical from his firearm, fatally wounding Horton inside his dwelling,” Kilos mentioned.
Kilos mentioned the home-owner was in mattress when he woke to the screaming exterior.
His spouse had left for work moments earlier than Horton arrived on the residence.
The home-owner cracked the door open whereas armed after a number of makes an attempt of attempting to speak with the off-duty officer and caring for his spouse’s security.
In the course of the incident, the home-owner’s spouse obtained a number of notifications from her Ring doorbell digicam and, after noticing what was happening, known as 911.
The sheriff’s workplace mentioned it launched redacted video footage from the scary incident to offer transparency to the general public about what occurred. Parts containing delicate content material, such because the sound of the lethal shot that killed Horton, weren’t included.
“We wish to emphasize that this was a tragic state of affairs the place the home-owner acted in protection of his life and residential,” Kilos mentioned.
“Presently, we’re assured that no costs might be filed towards the home-owner.”
The sheriff’s workplace mentioned the 2 didn’t know one another, and there was no home disturbance involving Horton earlier than the incident.
Kilos additionally shared that the division wished to deal with quite a few false rumors circulating on-line that the house belonged to Captain Jon Mauney, the pinnacle of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Legal Investigation Division.
“These rumors are categorically false,” Kilos wrote in his assertion.
“Moreover, there is no such thing as a reality to the declare that Officer Horton was concerned in a home disturbance, or that any member of the family of his sought refuge on the dwelling. Horton was utterly unknown to the home-owner.”
The sheriff’s workplace is working with the Douglas County District Lawyer’s Workplace to offer a full report on the incident.
A toxicology report is pending however “might take a number of months to finish.”
“We consider Horton might have been experiencing a psychological well being episode or underneath the affect of narcotics on the time of the incident,” Kilos added.
Horton joined the Atlanta Police in November 2015 and was most not too long ago assigned to the APD’s Fugitive Unit.
The division introduced on Fb that he was named “Investigator of the 12 months” on the ADP Crime is Toast Awards breakfast on Sept. 24.
Horton obtained the dignity stemming from a case involving the lacking 21-year-old man Leondre Flynt, whose stays have been found in July.
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