Off-duty Atlanta police officer shot, killed while reportedly trying to break into house

An off-duty Atlanta police investigator was shot and killed last Friday after allegedly trying to break into a home in Douglas County, Georgia.

According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Aubree Horton was killed shortly after 5:08 a.m. after trying to enter a home in Winston, an unincorporated community about 30 miles from Atlanta. Horton was first spotted by the homeowner's wife, who called 911 while she was on her way to work after receiving several alerts from her Ring doorbell camera showing Horton running around the yard and yelling.

Before law enforcement arrived, though, Horton reportedly forced his way into the house and was shot by the homeowner.

Horton, 32, joined the Atlanta Police Department in 2015, and had been most recently assigned to the department's Fugitive Unit. Last month, he was named "Investigator of the Year" at the 2024 Atlanta Police Foundation's annual Crime is Toast ceremony.

Video of the incident released

On Monday, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office released a partially redacted video taken from the Ring doorbell camera, showing a shirtless Horton screaming, running around the house and banging on the front door.

In the video, Horton can be heard yelling "Jesus" and "Help me" while running around the yard, then "I'm home" while approaching the front door.

Horton then slams into the door with his body twice while saying, "No, kill me."

After Horton sits down, the homeowner can be heard from inside the house trying to communicate with Horton and yelling for his wife.

Near the end of the video, Horton says "I love you," and then "Just kill me," before laying down. The video ends with Horton once again standing up and approaching the front door.

According to the sheriff's office, when the homeowner opened the door slightly, Horton forced his way inside, knocking the homeowner over.

"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 in a statement.

Investigators were not able to identify Horton, who was not carrying any form of identification and not wearing a shirt or shoes when he was shot, until using a portable finger print scanner. A preliminary investigation also revealed that Horton was also a Winston resident, residing within walking distance of the home he was killed in.

A preliminary statement from the sheriff's office on Oct. 5 said that Horton "appeared on video to be experiencing a mental health episode or under the influence of narcotics."

On Monday, the sheriff's office said that compiling evidence, including a toxicology report, may take months to complete. The department also reiterated that Horton was not involved in any domestic dispute before his death, and that he and the homeowner had not known each other before the shooting.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said Monday that it was "confident that no charges will be filed against the homeowner."

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at [email protected]