INDIANAPOLIS — Marion County prosecutors have dropped the death penalty charges against a man accused of gunning down Southport Police Department Lt. Aaron Allan in 2017.
In exchange, Jason Dane Brown agreed to waive his right to a jury trial and will instead let a judge decide his fate, according to documents filed Dec. 3 in a Marion Superior Court.
Michael Leffler, a spokesman for Prosecutor Ryan Mears, said the decision to forgo the death penalty was made after prosecutors conferred with Allan's family. Brown still faces the possibility of life without parole, under the agreement.
A bench trial is scheduled for Feb. 7 before Marion Superior Court Judge Mark Stoner.
Brown, 32, crashed and flipped a 2004 BMW 325 in the 6600 block of South Madison Avenue in Homecroft about 2:40 p.m. on July 27.
Brown was upside-down and seat-belted in when Allan crawled through a window to try to help. Prosecutors say Brown pulled a gun and fired more than a dozen shots. There has been no explanation offered as to why Brown started shooting.
Allan was struck 11 times as he tried to crawl away. He died at Eskenazi Hospital.
WRTV left a message seeking comment for Brown's attorney, Denise Turner.
Allan joined Southport's police force in 2011. He became the mostly volunteer department's first full-time paid officer just months before his death. He is the first Southport officer to be killed in the line of duty. Allan left behind a wife and young son.
Contact WRTV reporter Vic Ryckaert at victor.ryckaert@wrtv.com or on Twitter: @vicryc.
