Who Is Aaron Allan? Indianapolis Police Officer Killed In Line Of Duty

An Indianapolis police officer was shot and killed Thursday while responding to a car crash. The incident took place around 2:30 p.m. EDT near Maynard Drive and Madison Avenue in Homecroft, a Perry Township town situated approximately 8 miles south of Indianapolis.

The deceased officer was identified as Southport Lt. Aaron Allan. He was said to be responding to the an accident scene after reports of an inverted vehicle. That's when police said "shots were fired by one of the vehicle’s occupants, striking the Southport lieutenant," according to Fox News.

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Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett condemned the shooting, and called it "a shocking and tragic reminder of the difficult, often dangerous work of police officers." Hogsett issued a statement saying the community grieved for the Allan family and "for all the men and women who risk their lives on a daily basis to protect our city and its citizens."

After the shootout, Allan was taken to nearby Eskenazi Hospital where the doctors later declared him dead. At least two suspects from the incident are in custody, the Indianapolis Police Department (IMPD) told FOX 59.

Two other officers were also present at the scene, including one who was off-duty at the time. They returned fire which struck a person inside the inverted vehicle, Southport Police Chief Thomas Vaughn said. Police did not release the names of the victims in the crash. They were taken to a hospital nearby and were held in custody with non-life threatening injuries.

"Lt. Allan was a hard worker and today was no different. He responded to a crash with urgency to preserve life and tragically his was lost," Chief Vaugh said at a news conference at the hospital. "We appreciate the community support as we continue to work through the loss of our brother."

Allan was the first officer to have responded to the crash. He reached there immediately after the accident took place.

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Lt. Allan was serving at the Southport Police Department since the last six years. He was the first-ever officer to have been named Officer of the Year in 2015 for his contribution to the department and for saving a life of a man at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. He performed chest compressions on the injured man for 10 minutes till the backup officers arrived at the scene with a defibrillator.

"I’m very surprised," he told the Southport Times after he was honored in 2015. "It’s part of the job. I’m overwhelmed."

Lt. Allan is survived by his wife, and a son who is in the third grade currently. Allan previously served as an officer at the Indiana School for the Deaf, and at a school district in Marion County, Indiana, according to police officials at the Southport Police Department. The department is an all-volunteer force except for Allan's position and the police chief, which are both full time and salaried.

An eye-witness present at the scene described the incident as "disgusting" and raised questions about safety in the neighborhood, according to CBS affiliate WTTV.

"It’s just disgusting you know. Being a vet, I was in the service, we’re kind of all in the brotherhood. We’re not going to be able to walk our kids down the street because of some foolishness like this," said David Andrzeejewski. "I mean, he pulled over a kid, he probably woke up in the morning told his kids goodbye gave them a kiss, pulls a car over. Next thing you know he’s in the hospital fighting for his life. It’s horrible. What’s it coming to? When’s it gonna end?"

Allan is not the only Indiana officer to have been killed in the past week. Deputy Chief James "Jim" Waters, 48, died after being involved in a serious car crash during the weekend . Waters was traveling eastbound on the interstate in Indiana in his vehicle when a semi-truck hit from behind, fire officials told FOX 59.