On a summer day in 2017, a routine response to a single-car crash on the south side of Indianapolis turned into a tragedy that would claim the life of a dedicated police officer. Southport Police Lieutenant Aaron Allan, a 38-year-old male and a six-year veteran of the department, was among the first to arrive at the scene on July 27th. He found a car flipped over, with the driver, Jason Brown, suspended upside down by his seatbelt.
Concerned for the man's well-being, Allan approached the vehicle and attempted to crawl inside to offer comfort and assistance until paramedics could get there.
As Lt. Allan tried to calm the trapped driver, the situation took an unforeseen and violent turn. Brown, who was described as becoming agitated and belligerent, opened fire on the unsuspecting officer. Allan was shot 11 times, a brutal act that would prove fatal. Two other officers at the scene returned fire, wounding Brown. The man Allan had been trying to help was now his killer.
In the aftermath, Jason Brown was arrested and charged with the murder of Lt. Aaron Allan. During the subsequent investigation and trial, the defense argued that Brown had suffered a seizure before the crash and was not conscious of his actions when he fired his weapon. However, a doctor who treated Brown after the incident testified to seeing no evidence of a seizure. Toxicology reports from a urine sample indicated the presence of THC, cocaine, and synthetic cannabinoids in Brown's system.
Prosecutors initially sought the death penalty but later agreed to drop the request in exchange for a bench trial, meaning a judge, not a jury, would decide Brown's fate. In February 2022, a Marion Superior Judge found Jason Brown guilty of murder. He was subsequently sentenced to 55 years in prison for the killing of Lt. Aaron Allan, bringing a legal conclusion to a senseless act of violence that cut short the life of a respected officer and devastated his family and community. Brown later appealed his conviction, but the arguments were rejected, and the original verdict was upheld.
