The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff Reports

Posted: Monday, January 01, 2018 12:29 PM

NATION: Indiana Volunteer Police Officer Dubbed "Teddy Bear," Gunned Down By Occupant of Overturned Car

An Indiana volunteer police lieutenant responding to a traffic accident was gunned down Thursday by one of the injured occupants of an overturned car, officials said.

The officer was identified as Lt. Aaron Allan, 38, a six-year veteran of the Southport Police Department who had 20 years of law enforcement experience. Allan was the department's officer of the year in 2015 and was known by his nickname, "Teddy Bear," The Washington Post reported.

"It is with a heavy heart that I say this afternoon we lost a brother, Lt. Aaron Allan," SPD Chief Thomas Vaughn said. "Lieutenant Allan was a hard worker, and today was no different. He responded to a crash with urgency to preserve life. Tragically, his was lost."

Jason Brown, 28, was one of two suspects taken into custody in the shooting and is facing a preliminary murder charge, according to a police report obtained by FOX59. Though a motive was not immediately disclosed, Hendricks County court records reviewed by The Indianapolis Star showed Brown had been convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession in 2014 and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. The Indianapolis native, who remained hospitalized Friday in good condition, also had been issued three traffic tickets in Marion County and another in Greene County since 2009.

Allan was a member of the department's robust volunteer service, who work "with full police powers but without pay," according to the Indy Star.