SOUTHPORT, Indiana — The suspect in the killing of Southport Lt. Aaron Allan asked for and was granted a waiver of a jury trial, meaning a judge will decide his fate in the case. A condition of that waiver for Jason Dane Brown, is that a life sentence without the possibility of parole is still on the table.
Brown is accused of fatally shooting Allan 11 times on July 27, 2017.
The shooting happened after the tattoo artist flipped his car with a passenger riding with him near Madison Avenue and Maynard Drive. In court documents, a witness told police the same car came at her at "a high rate of speed, went airborne, then upside down and landed in the yard."
The first officer on scene found Jason Brown "hung up in the seat belt and was kind of wedged in."
Allan, 38, was reaching in to help Brown when prosecutors say Brown opened fire. Witnesses said Brown continued to fire even as Allan tried to crawl away.
Brown was hurt in the crash, plus hit by return fire from other police officers.
The gun used to kill Allan contained a magazine fit to hold 20 rounds.
Brown's trial is slated to begin Feb. 7, 2022 in Marion Superior Court. He is charged with one felony count of murder, as well as a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge.
His past criminal history includes a 30-day sentence for possession of a controlled substance. He was also convicted of driving on a suspended license.
Allan, a 20-year law enforcement veteran, had served the Southport Police Department for nearly six years. Allan left behind his wife and children. Lt. Allan had walked his son Aaron Jr. to the bus stop for his first day of kindergarten on the day he was shot and killed.
Officers continued honoring Allan by escorting his son to school in years following his death.