Video shows man who fired at officers
Officers’ shots struck suspect three times; evaluation ordered.
The Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office wants a judge to set a $1 million bond or deny bond to Aaron Mitchell.
Prosecutors presented new video evidence Wednesday about a man accused of shooting at a government building and setting off a police chase that ended with officers shooting him.
The Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office wants a judge to set a $1 million bond or deny bond to Aaron Mitchell.
He is accused of firing at the Clay Twp. administration building and fleeing in his Pontiac Fiero. Mitchell allegedly sped through busy roads, drove through stop sticks, then flipped off police officers after his car stopped on Nov. 30, 2018, according to the new evidence.
Mitchell, who was found with an open can of Bud Ice, then put his hands on a Hi Point 4095 rifle and was shot several times by law enforcement, cruiser and body camera footage shown during Mitchell’s bond hearing.
Mitchell, 41, of Brookville, had been released Jan. 8 on the electronic home detention program (EHDP) after posting 10 percent of a $150,000 bond. That angered Montgomery County Prosecutor
Mat Heck Jr.’s office, who wrote that Mitchell was “a danger to police and the community” in a motion made a day after this news organization reported Mitchell’s release.
Mitchell was re-booked into the Montgomery County Jail on Monday ahead of the bond hearing.
Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Dennis Langer recessed the hearing before lunch due to a previously scheduled engagement and said it would continue today.
Mitchell faces two counts each of felonious assault and failure to comply with the order of an officer plus one count of discharge of a firearm on or near a prohibited premises.
The video compiled from multiple jurisdictions showed the actions of Clay Twp. officers just after the shots were fired, the chase and the officer-involved shooting of Mitchell, who was hit three times. Mitchell was wearing a large brace on his left arm in court.
Clay Twp. police Sgt. James Hawkins testified that he rushed outside after hearing shots fired at the township building.
“I drew my firearm, screamed for him to drop the gun,” Hawkins said. “In return, he fired shots at myself. I continued to scream, ‘Drop the gun.’ At that point in time he flipped me off.”
Cruiser cam showed the chase, when Mitchell’s car blew through a stop sign, hit the stop sticks and stopped.
Hawkins described how Mitchell’s middle finger again was raised before Mitchell put his hand under the barrel of the rifle and officers started firing.
“I started screaming drop the gun,” Hawkins said. “I believe the suspect was exiting the car and was going to attempt to cause serious physical harm or kill the officers that were on scene.”
Montgomery County Sheriff ’s Office Det. Isaiah Kellar testified that officers found spent shells and a magazine of ammunition in Mitchell’s car.
Kellar also said further investigation revealed Mitchell was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver due to alcoholism, was told by a doctor not to drink but told his fiance he planned to drink until the day he died.
Mitchell’s fiancee told investigators Mitchell said if he was going to kill himself he would get drunk and go on a high-speed chase and have a shootout with police.
A public defender’s office investigator testified for the defense, as did Mitchell’s fiancee Summer Evans, who said there were no firearms or alcohol in their Brookville home when Mitchell was on EHDP. Evans will be on the stand when the hearing resumes today.
Mitchell’s attorney filed a motion Jan. 3 for him to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, and a mental evaluation was ordered.
According to Heck’s motion, Mitchell posted the WHIO story about his release from jail and planned insanity defense to his Facebook account.