Authorities have released video and additional details in the death of an off-duty Atlanta police investigator who was allegedly trying to break into a Douglas County home Friday morning when he was shot by the homeowner.
According to the Douglas sheriff’s office, Aubree Horton arrived at the home on Orkney Way in Winston around 5:08 a.m. The homeowner’s wife was heading to work when she received multiple notifications from her Ring doorbell camera, saw what was happening and called 911.
On Monday, the sheriff’s office released video that shows Horton, who was shirtless, running toward the front door of the house while screaming. Horton can be heard shouting “Jesus” and “Help me” before he reached one of the doors. Once at the front door, he tries to slam into it.
“No, kill me,” Horton said in the video before slamming into the door a second time.
He then sits on the steps of the home and puts his hands on his face, taking deep breaths while the homeowner can be heard shouting his wife’s name and asking Horton who he was. According to the sheriff’s office, the homeowner was inside in bed when he heard the commotion outside.
At one point, Horton simply says “I love you,” before he yells and lays down on the front porch. He then stands up when he hears the homeowner approach the door.
The sheriff’s office said there was a previous burglary at the house in 2021 that resulted in the homeowner installing security measures, such as cameras and reinforcing exterior doors.
“Concerned for his safety and that of his wife, whom he knew just left for work but thought could still be at the residence, the homeowner armed himself and approached the front door,” the sheriff’s office said.
The homeowner then tried to communicate with Horton, asking if he could help, before Horton forcibly rushed inside, knocking the homeowner to the ground after he slightly cracked the door trying to see what was going on, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Fearing for his life and in defense of his home, the homeowner discharged a single round from his firearm, fatally wounding Horton inside his home,” the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said the two didn’t know each other and there was no domestic disturbance involving Horton prior to the incident. The preliminary investigation revealed Horton appeared to be experiencing a “mental health episode or under the influence of narcotics.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has requested reports, including toxicology reports, from the incident.
The sheriff’s office said the toxicology report will take months to complete and a full report of the incident is not completed yet since the sheriff’s office is “waiting on essential evidence.”
Some portions of the video were redacted and will be available when the case is closed, the sheriff’s office said, including the sound of the fatal shot and the homeowner speaking to a Douglas patrol officer, who lives nearby, heard the commotion and rushed to assist.
When sheriff’s office investigators arrived at the scene, they were initially unable to identify Horton because he didn’t have ID and was not wearing shoes or a shirt. They eventually were able to identify him using a portable fingerprint scanner, and further investigation revealed he lived within walking distance of the shooting. It was later confirmed he worked for Atlanta police.
Horton, 32, had been with the department for almost 10 years and was recently named “Investigator of the Year” at the Atlanta Police Foundation’s annual Crime is Toast ceremony. Horton, who was most recently assigned to the department’s fugitive unit, had no law enforcement experience before joining APD in November 2015.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing, but after reviewing the facts of the case they don’t believe charges will be filed against the homeowner.
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