Wednesday afternoon at approximately 3:00 PM, Yavapai County PANT detectives along with the YCSO Quick Response Team (QRT) served an arrest warrant on a fugitive at a residence located off Prescott East Highway in Castle Canyon Mesa.
The suspect, 45-year-old Aaron Richard Nielson, was wanted under a federal warrant from May 2024 and a State of Arizona warrant from March 2024 for drug and fentanyl trafficking offenses.
While PANT detectives attempted to serve the warrants, Nielson, refusing commands to surrender, brandished a weapon placing the detectives on scene in fear for their lives, prompting a YCSO detective and a Prescott police officer to shoot the suspect to stop the threat to all law enforcement personnel. YCSO SWAT personnel and a SWAT paramedic from the QRT immediately attended to Nielson’s injuries, with the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority medics, who were staged outside the area as part of the operation, then taking over care. The lifesaving measures were unsuccessful, and the suspect died on scene.
The officer involved shooting incident will be investigated by the Department of Public Safety’s Special Investigation Unit.
Aaron was a father of two children and a very kind and loving person. He was not a killer and never would have harmed anyone. He had an addiction problem and was facing 9 years in prison. I’m sure the officers that shot him could have apprehended him without taking his life. This is another example of law enforcement using deadly force unnecessarily.
Just reported by investigators:
It was a lighter!!
I just wanna reach out that I loved your son (i think right?) anyway …I got the chance to meet this kind man and he absolutely astonished me with kindness and warmth of all . He was an amazing person. I was involved in this as well ..I was there in the house …much love I hope you’re doing ok
Why are highly trained officers ALWAYS in fear for their lives to the extent that they have to use deadly force? Perhaps their training needs to include de-escalating the situation instead of simply pulling their guns and shooting to kill!