Screenshot from the Ring doorbell that captured a distressed off-duty Atlanta police officer attempting to break-in to a home.

An off-duty Atlanta police investigator was fatally shot by a homeowner during an attempted break-in early Friday morning in Douglas County, Georgia. Authorities have released video footage and additional details regarding the incident, which occurred around 5:08 a.m. on Orkney Way in Winston, a community just west of metro Atlanta.

The deceased, identified as Aubree Horton, 32, was a veteran officer with the Atlanta Police Department’s fugitive unit. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported he had been recently honored as “Investigator of the Year” at the Atlanta Police Foundation’s Crime is Toast ceremony. According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Horton was reportedly experiencing a “mental health episode or under the influence of narcotics” when he attempted to enter the residence.

Video footage released by the sheriff’s office shows Horton, shirtless and shoeless, running toward the home’s front door while shouting “Jesus” and “Help me.” He then attempts to force the door open by slamming into it multiple times, at one point shouting, “No, kill me.” Horton later sits on the steps, taking deep breaths with his hands on his face as the homeowner, who had been in bed, tries to communicate with him.

The homeowner’s wife, who had just left for work, was alerted to the situation by notifications from their Ring doorbell camera and called 911 after witnessing Horton’s behavior. The sheriff’s office detailed that the homeowner, concerned for his safety and that of his wife—whom he believed could still be at the residence—armed himself and approached the front door.

“The homeowner attempted to determine what was happening and asked Horton if he could help,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. However, when the homeowner slightly opened the door to better communicate with the distressed man, Horton forcibly rushed inside, knocking him to the ground. 

“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 statement continued.

The homeowner and Horton were strangers to each other, and the sheriff’s office confirmed that there was no domestic disturbance involving Horton leading up to the incident. The residence had been the target of a previous burglary in 2021, which prompted the homeowner to enhance security measures, including installing cameras and reinforcing doors.

A Douglas County patrol officer who lived nearby and was about to leave for work responded to the scene after hearing the commotion. When sheriff’s investigators arrived, they initially struggled to identify Horton due to his lack of identification and disheveled appearance. His identity was later confirmed using a portable fingerprint scanner, and it was discovered that he lived within walking distance of the home.

The investigation is ongoing, with toxicology reports and other evidence still pending. The sheriff’s office noted that it could take months for the toxicology results to be completed. Video footage released from the incident has been partially redacted, with segments, including the sound of the fatal shot, held back until the case is closed.

While authorities continue to gather evidence, the sheriff’s office indicated that charges against the homeowner are unlikely. 

“After reviewing the available facts, we do not believe charges will be filed against the homeowner,” the sheriff’s office stated, emphasizing that the shooting appeared to be an act of self-defense under the circumstances.

The video is sad to watch as the off-duty officer is obviously suffering a tragic mental breakdown of some kind and left the homeowner with little choice even as he sought to help the man out. Both the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Atlanta Police Department extended their condolences to Horton’s family and colleagues, describing the situation as a “tragic and unusual event.”

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55 COMMENTS

  1. The shortage of police officers is critical in every major city, controlled by the democrats. So of course they will hire felons, illegal aliens, and keep suspect officers on duty.

    His death is very sad. But necessary in order to protect the lives of innocent law abiding people.

    Violent mentally ill people should be shot dead. Just like any healthy Violent criminal.

  2. The anti’s will never understand that the unpredictability of people is one of the reasons we arm ourselves. This event is a perfect, in-their-face, example of such unpredictability.

      • There are door stops that are essentially a inch thick steel rod that can be inserted into the floor to prevent the door from opening more than a small crack that will stop anything short of a battering ram. Doesn’t work well with decorative tile or less sturdy floor panels though. Personally I like the speaker in the rockpile or bushes away from the door/porch idea as it redirects their attention when you talk to them and helps with assessing how crazy they may be.

  4. “Video footage released by the sheriff’s office shows Horton, shirtless and shoeless”

    The video has been removed.

    • says “This Video Isn’t Available Anymore
      The link may be broken or the video may have been removed. You can explore more videos or try logging into facebook.com and then visiting the link again.”

      • Knowing full well there is trouble on the doorsteps he surrenders control of the situation and opens the door to help. Let’s see…The not so pleasant sounding uninvited guest clearly displayed he wanted to come inside the house so dumbfuk opens the door to help. Instead of shooting the uninvited guest he should have let the guest kick his dumb azz.

  5. reportedly experiencing a “mental health episode or under the influence of narcotics”

    Whenever you hear “mental health” problems these days, it’s usually a euphemism for drug use. At least they somewhat admit it here. We don’t have a mental health crisis in this country. We have a substance abuse crisis. Why can’t they just say that?

    • I have no knowledge of this situation, but if you let people who may not like you handle your food on a regular basis, or if you get unlucky, you don’t have to “use drugs” to go batshit crazy. And yes, the victim will be the last to know.

      The types that used to spit in milkshakes or had fantasies about ground glass have become, uh, more sophisticated.

      This man have been slipped, or he may taken something fairly innocuous that was not what it was advertised to be.

      • I didn’t mean to imply that drugs are the sole source of craziness. I don’t think that at all. I do think that it’s throwing fuel on the fire of other problems. I also know that the powers that be (TPTB) don’t like admitting just how much of a drug problem this country has. There’s a reason for that.

        The drug problem is a side effect of other societal problems. TPTB know they’re responsible for those other problems. They don’t want to alter the current trajectory because it works in their favor. Move along! Nothing to see! Oh, and be sure to get high!

        “What will we do with all of these useless people (in the future)? Keep them happy with drugs and computer games.” -Yuval Noah Harari

        “FU Harari.” -Dude

  6. Chicken or the egg.
    Are the crazy people self-medicating with drugs? Not sure how street drugs help but whatever. Or are the drugs making people crazy?

    Probably both so lets treat them equally. They can live on the dole in gated druggie communes until they eventually OD and die. Win-win. They get to use and we don’t have to worry about lunatics kicking in our doors or running down the street swinging machetes.

    • Probably both. Instead of dealing with problems, they’re covering them up with “solutions” that make the situation worse. It’s the same way our government operates which makes perfect sense when you think about it. (A government by the people…)

    • I’ve asked this before. We’ve very obviously lost the ‘war on drugs’.

      Would it be cheaper and less stress on society to simply warehouse druggies in military style camps and just give them their drug of choice for free?

      Make drug treatment services available for those that want out. Quit ruining lives with felony convictions so that they don’t get caught in a loop they cannot escape.

      • That’s the way to handle it.

        People will argue that recreational or non-addict users will get caught up in a system like this but really if you’re just a weekend pot head you’re going to be home watching cartoons or playing video games and eating junk food not running around in public like a lunatic drawing the attention of police.

        Put them away in a nice place staffed with some therapists and nurses and offer treatment as an option and a way out. If they’d rather sway out in the yard in a comatose fashion than go to treatment that’s fine. Provide food, shelter and the drugs and let nature run its course.

        It’ll be safer for us. Humane for them. And probably cost less in the long run. Schools could even make it an annual field trip so kids can see just how cool drugs and drug addicts are.

        We don’t even need to force people to stay there. Free drugs within the facility perimeter will keep them there “of their own free will” as it were.

        I would much rather my tax dollars fund something like this than be burned up in the endless grift of global policing. The clean streets and absence of crackhead encampments in the kids park would be a nice bonus.

      • As one who thinks the super-powerful criminal problem is WAY worse than the drug addict problem, I agree.

        STOP FEEDING THE CARTELS AND MAFIAS.

        On the other hand, there are lots of hood that eg, heroin addicts can do well.

        Further, the historical record indicates that heroin addicts who live in a legal environment are not prone to violence and actually live longer than non-addicts…

        • How recent is said data? I ask mostly because average purity of heroin went from low to mid double digits to upper 90’s % over the last 30 years even before fentanyl and worse were commonly were mixed in. I routinely see od out of work even with the wildly permissive leave and substance abuse treatment program standards in the NY state employee system and have yet to find an opioid user that was not in a downward spiral at any level of employment. You may have been right at some point but it is not our current experience.

          • Apples and oranges. Said data is from when you could hire a doctor to inject you daily with pharmaceutical heroin for a dollar a day. Actually LEGAL. Other countries, and/or other times.

            The word “legal” does not apply to the “current experience” in any way. It is an agricultural product – the actual cost of delivering morphine to a cancer patient, less fees, insurance and regulatory overlay is less than a dollar a day NOW.

            Sad, but true.

            LET THE SOBER RULE.

            Let junkies go.

            • So way way before anything current…..ok then. Well do agree with the idea of designated junkie zones especially for those picked up on criminal activity but you do seem to be pushing something against objective data in regards to harm/risk of drug use.

              • How so? Heroin is heroin. Are you claiming that heroin in the Shah’s Persia or 1890s America was some how weaker than heroin today? That would be factually incorrect.

                Barring overdose, actual heroin is not poisonous, unlike whatever the heroin-containing compounds are, that the people you are observing are taking.

              • Heroin hasn’t been heroin since the late 90’s when the cheap stuff became 2-3 times the potency of the 80s (thanks Afghanistan and later Mexico) all the way back to opium mixed with wine and over the last decade it is typically a carrying agent for fentanyl (thanks China and later Mexico). If you are finding heroin that isn’t a lethal dose to a non addict you are the exception to the rule as most users are either coming off pain pills or had other oddball mixes and liked it and wanted stronger.

              • First produced in 1874. Federally prohibited in 1924.

                I suggest you review crime stats and data on longterm effects in those years.

                Or if you think things are better now, make your case. My battery is down I will let you have the last word, at least for now.

              • It was better when it wasn’t plentiful cheap or pure, we are absolutely in agreement with that for that time period. At this point it is beyond a distant memory and no longer relevant to the current issues we are dealing with and early the heroin you are talking about from that time period is more akin to marijuana of the present for impact and usage (obviously not chemical composition or production). We will likely not agree on much of each other’s assessment but at least I am starting to see where you were coming from and the disagreement shifts more to whether the historical analysis is relevant to todays heroin and associated derivatives and obviously I do not believe so but there is always room to learn more.

  7. “However, when the homeowner slightly opened the door to better communicate with the distressed man,”
    homeowner was a retard then

  8. I did total of 30 years in L.E. I remember we has a betting pool as when one specific officer would lose it and shoot up the department. Admin knew about everyone’s concerns and did nothing. He finally retired and moved away. Every dept has one (or two).

  9. LOL!

    What’s the lesson, kiddies?

    Don’t open the door if a deranged lunatic is banging on it at oh-dark-thirty.

    • Way ahead of you. And glad of it. Dude tried to force our door one night. Wife took grandkids upstairs and I posted up covering the front door.

      Harsh language was exchanged but no bullets needed. The next couple of days my granddaughter had the big eyed expression at how much her grandpa had changed in the moment.

      • LOL, nothing better than that. I wonder how much it would cost to hire an actor once or twice a year…

  11. I’m considering putting a hole near my front door. In order to discharge pepper spray or bear spray fog at anyone trying to break into my home.

    It seems like a good less lethal option. And in a city with more mentally ill people around. It would not involve so many lawyers.

    • Removable peephole and have some sort of sealed funnel with a misting agent……..or a remote fogger if you are handy with electronics

        • Would not advise mixing in a flash bang or similar as it can ignite the particulates of various irritants (like a flour mill explosion) and no really don’t mix them the potential liability isn’t worth it. Other than that video for having a reference of where they are/oriented relative to the area of effect as well as viewing entertainment if that is your thing. Simple common sense stuff all around.

          • Correct.

            For areas where problems are more or less constant, I advocate a process whereby a property can be declared a High Crime Zone. Being present there at (eg) the wrong hours is by law prima fascia evidence of criminal intent and civil immunity is conveyed to the property owner. Remotely triggered tasers, semipermanent dyes, noxious odors, etc can be deployed as desired…

  13. The home owner is nearly as crazy as the former PO that got shot for opening the darn door. Forget that, unless someone I know is outside that dude is gonna either bail or wait till the cops show up to deal with him.

  14. I believe Mr.Horton should have had qualified immunity.
    After all he was a cop and cops are allowed to break into people’s homes and kill them.

  16. It’s a convenient argument to make about le.g.ali.zi.ng drugs. Comparing it to when they were legal hundereds of years ago.

    And at the same time, avoid talking about how the potency for these substances has been increased dramatically.

    No they are not “safe” to use. No, crime related drug use does not go down.

    And if anybody is talking about legal drugs in the 1800s, then I would expect them to be honest about it. And and talk about how Queen Victoria of england was the “biggest drug dealer” in the world, at that time.

    But I have Noticed that the drug le.g.aliz.atio.n crowd studiously avoids talking about the opium wars.

    And all the money that england made shipping narcotics to the chinese. Which the chinese did not like. If they were intellectually honest which they are not, they would say how wonderful it was.

    That england made lots of money shipping intoxicating substances to the chinese. Even if those substances were addictive.

    btw
    President Franklin Delano Roosevelt also became a rich man because of the opium trade. His family owned the shipping business, that shipped english opium to the chinese.

    But they never mentioned that in the history books do they.

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