Suspect in police shooting had made ‘death by cop’ comments
The Brookville man officers said shot at a Clay Twp. police officer and the township’s administration building posted messages on social media and made comments alluding to death by police, according to a search warrant filed in Montgomery County court.
Aaron Mitchell, 40, is currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a preliminary charge of felonious assault. Formal charges have not been approved yet in the case, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutors Office.
Mitchell was shot by officers following a pursuit from the area of the Clay Twp. administration building, which ended on North Diamond Mill Road on Friday.
“Upon further investigation a Facebook post was located on Aaron Mitchell’s Facebook account stating ‘welp my mind says I’m going to break a bunch of laws and then chased by the cops lol,’ ” according to documents filed in court. “Mitchell also has made comments that the best way to go is by cop and that if he wanted to die he could do death by cop.”
Deputies served a search warrant Friday at Mitchell’s house on South Clay Street in Brookville, which is also owned by his live-in girlfriend, court records showed.
Three police officers, including two from Clay Twp. and one from Brookville, were placed on paid leave for involvement in the shooting, officials have confirmed.
Maj. Tom Simon from the Brookville Police is the officer on leave from that department after the department said he fired his service weapon at the end of the pursuit. The two Clay Twp. officers have not been identified.
Police recovered an AR style rifle from Mitchell’s 1986 Pontiac Fiero, which was towed from the chase scene, court records read.
Police have seized at least 20 items during their investigation that will serve as evidence in the case, including bullets and shell casings, the warrant read.
Officers also recovered a black semi-automatic rifle in the front bedroom of Mitchell’s home.