DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — A Douglas County homeowner told investigators that he was forced to shoot and kill an off-duty Atlanta police detective after the officer tried to break into his neighbor’s home on Friday morning.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Captain Jon Mauney said that it was around 5 a.m. when deputies responded to reports of an attempted burglary at a home on Orkney Way in the St. Andrews Country Club neighborhood.
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”A person attempted to gain entry into the residence (and) when he gained entrance, the homeowner produced a firearm in self-defense and shot the individual. We believe the burglar lived in the neighborhood,” Mauney said.
Atlanta police identified the deceased man as Aubree Clay Horton. Last month, the Atlanta Police Foundation hosted its annual “Crime is Toast” awards breakfast, where Horton was recognized as “investigator of the year.”
In a statement shared with Channel 2 Action News, the Atlanta Police Department confirmed Horton joined APD in November 2015 and was most recently part of APD’s fugitive unit.
“We’re working closely with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to learn more about what occurred as they investigate the incident,” their statement read.
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Sheriff’s office investigators say Horton appeared on video to have been suffering a mental health episode or was under the influence of drugs.
Channel 2′s Michael Seiden stopped by Horton’s home on Friday, which is a few blocks away from the home where he was killed, and found multiple investigators and crime tape. It’s unclear what happened at his home before the deadly shooting.
While outside Horton’s home, Seiden spoke with a woman who identified herself as the officer’s girlfriend and confirmed that her boyfriend had been killed.
Seiden also heard from many of Horton’s current and former colleagues say they are heartbroken over his death. One described him as a loving father who was proud to wear his badge.
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