Family Of Man Shot, Killed By Seminole County Officer Seeks Answers

Officers were trying to arrest 24-year-old Aaron Palmer's father, who was not at the house. Now, family and friends want to know why the officer to pulled the trigger.

Monday, August 27th 2012, 6:35 pm

By: News 9


Family and friends mourned a young man shot and killed by a Seminole County Law Enforcement Officer on Saturday night.

8/26/2012 Related Story: OSBI Investigates Officer-Involved Shooting In Seminole County

Officers were trying to arrest 24-year-old Aaron Palmer's father, who was not at the house. Monday, family and friends were left with more questions than answers about what led the officer to pull the trigger. Officers alleged when they entered into the house, Palmer had a knife in his hand. The Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation was still looking into all the facts Monday.

"He's just the nicest guy you'd ever meet. It's totally unfair," said Vince van Landingham, who was Aaron Palmer's boss. "I can't believe he's gone."

Many said they were upset because the man officers were looking for was not even at the house. Neighbor Kent Dawson said the officers moved in very quickly on the house. He said he stood outside in his yard and saw the whole thing.

"From the time that they left that door from my sight, to the gunshot, was less than one second. It was that quick. In fact, my first instinct was that they shot the dog on their way in," explained Dawson.

He said he believed the whole thing should have been avoided.

"If you was to drive up on. What would be the first thing you'd notice? Children's toys? You go in with guns blasting then? No, no. I see no justification for what was going on," he explained. "An innocent man died because they didn't take the time to knock on the door."

Now friends and family hope an investigation will prove Aaron Palmer's innocence so his daughter can know her dad was not a criminal.

"He's not coming back and I want some justification for that. It's just not fair. It's not fair to his little girl, it's not fair to his new fiancé," said van Landingham.

The Seminole County District Attorney's office will ultimately decide whether or not the officer was justified in using deadly force against Aaron Palmer.

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