Man gets 55 years for fatal shooting of police officer in US

A man convicted of fatally shooting an Indiana police officer who came to his aid following a car crash in 2017 was sentenced Friday to 55 years in prison.

A Marion County judge sentenced Jason D. Brown to 58 years, with three years suspended, in the killing of 38-year-old Southport police Lt. Aaron Allan. The sentence followed hours of emotional testimony from relatives of the late officer, Brown’s family and Brown himself.

Allan’s father, James Allan, told the court the shooting was a “tragedy” for everyone in the courtroom.

“But it was one gentleman’s choice that has cost us all to still be here today. And that was you, Jason,” he said, looking at Brown. “It was your decision. You’re the one who pulled the trigger.”

Brown, 33, apologised and told the court he would never forgive himself for what he did.

Brown was convicted of murder and a misdemeanour drug possession charge during a February bench trial.

Prosecutors agreed last December to drop their death penalty request against Brown in exchange for the judge, instead of a jury, hearing the case.

Brown was dangling upside down by his seatbelt on July 27, 2017, when Allan approached after the single-car crash on Indianapolis’ south side. Allan attempted to crawl into the vehicle to keep Brown calm until paramedics arrived, but Brown shot him 11 times.

Two other officers then opened fire on Brown, wounding him.

The defence argued that Brown suffered a seizure before the crash and was not conscious of the fact he was shooting at an officer. But a doctor who treated Brown following the crash testified that he saw no evidence of a seizure.

Allan, who was married and had two sons, was a full-time officer with the Southport Police Department in the 2,000-person municipality on the south side of Indianapolis.

• Americas