GSP Trooper cleared in fatal shooting of Aragon man
A Georgia State Patrol officer who was involved in the fatal shooting of an Aragon man at the end of a police chase has been cleared in wake of Grand Jury proceedings last week.
District Attorney Jack Browning that after providing all the evidence in the shooting death of Jason Dennis Watkins on March 17, the Grand Jury elected to return no bill of indictment by majority vote.
That brings to a close the proceedings against Trooper Jonathan Mason in the incident, who according to the release took the actions in order to protect his own life.
Browning's release this afternoon cited a new state law introduced to help keep the public secure in the knowledge that law enforcement shooting incidents are being treated justly, and all the facts are released to the public following the arrival of a decision to come back with no charges.
According to the release, the Grand Jury came back to find the facts as previously reported were accurate, and that Watkins attempted to flee from officers when he reached a road checkpoint setup by Georgia State Patrol.
Watkins then turned around, and Mason gave
chase, which eventually ended when Watkins was stopped using a PIT maneuver - one commonly used by police to stop suspects. Mason attempted to get Watkins to get out of the car, and when he backed up and tried to move forward toward Mason, Watkins was shot twice by the trooper.
Among the items of evidence brought before the Grand Jury during the July 20 session was video evidence from two patrol cars, interviews from witnesses and law enforcement, GBI analysis of the incident scene and autopsy findings.
Browning said in his release that the legal side of the matter is closed, but the incident will not be forgotten by anyone involved.
"In these situations, those directly touched by this incident are, without question, the ones who lose the most - Mr. Watkins' family, having lost their loved one, and Trooper Mason, who will likely be haunted by the memory of the experience for the rest of his life," Browning said in the release. "However, if there is anything positive that can come from situations such as this, it is the hope that, when it comes to cases involving an officer's use-of-force, the public's confidence in our criminal justice system can begin to be restored with the assurance that when these types of cases are presented to a grand jury, there is transparency and accountability in the process."
At the time Watkins was shot, Mason was part of a DUI checkpoint setup on Fish Creek Road around 12:15 a.m. when Watkins attempted to elude police in the high speed chase at the ended near the intersection of Collard Valley and Old Collard Valley Road.
The passenger who was in the vehicle at the time did comply with orders to get out and get on the ground, according to the release of the findings on July 25.
The checkpoint that Watkins attempted to flee from was setup just a day in March after the agency participated in a similar checkpoint with a number of local law enforcement officers from around Northwest Georgia in the Aragon area.