“We removed Aaron from the car and began CPR,” Mobile County Circuit Judge candidate Chris Callahan said in a campaign ad. “I felt like this was a police officer and he died in my arms. I know he was already dead, but at that moment.”

Callahan was referring to the April 22, 2003 shooting of Fulton County Police Officer Aaron Blount.

However, several police officers who responded to the scene of Blount's death issued affidavits saying Callahan may not have been at the scene.

“Officer Aaron Blount did not die in the arms of Christopher Callahan, as Mr. Callahan claims,” ​​said Gary Stiles, who was a lieutenant with the Fulton County Police Department at the time of Mr. Blount's death. said in an affidavit dated February 1, 2024. “Christopher Callahan was also not the first officer at the scene, as Mr. Callahan claims. In fact, I have no knowledge that Mr. Callahan was at the scene…As a former Fulton County Police Chief, Christopher Callahan… I am angry and upset that Mr. Callahan stole courage and attempted to use the death of a police officer for his own political gain.”

APR sent an email to Callahan on Tuesday seeking comment on this story, but did not receive a response in time for publication. This article will be updated as we receive responses.

But Callahan did. Reply to Lagniappe on mobiledescribed the revelation as “nothing more than a political piece” and said the officers questioned may simply not remember his presence at the scene.

Lagniappe acknowledged that the affidavit was requested by an individual associated with the campaign of incumbent Circuit Judge Vicki Davis. The paper also cited Callahan's ex-wife as saying his story about the incident has been consistent over the years, and that even though that information does not appear in the police report, Callahan believed the scene of the accident was a train track. He also mentioned that he knew that there was a building nearby.

However, affidavits from two other officers at the scene corroborate Stiles' statement.

Officer Reggie McCain, now a police lieutenant with the Fulton County Police Department, said he was the first officer on the scene when he saw Blount's parked patrol car with its lights flashing.

“I radioed for help and was followed by Officer Chuck Cook and Officer Mark Jeffrey. Officers would then arrive on the scene,” McCain recalled in the affidavit. “I, along with Officer Cook, removed Officer Blount from the patrol car. Officer Cook, who was a SWAT medic, provided medical care to Officer Blount until EMS arrived shortly after.

“Officer Blount did not die in Christopher Callahan's arms. He does not even remember Christopher Callahan being at the scene.”

McCain said he reviewed his own incident report from the scene and found Callahan's name was not documented.

“As a law enforcement officer, I find it disturbing that someone would lie about this horrific event, and I am outraged that Mr. Callahan may have somehow distorted Aaron's death for his own political gain. Masu.”

Mark Jeffrey, who McCain identified in his affidavit as one of the officers at the scene, confirmed McCain's account and said he remembered being at the scene until EMS arrived to transport Blount. said it was just him, McCain and Cook.

Mr. Callahan told Mr. Lagniappe that he had been in the car with Mr. Cook and that he had been approached to submit an affidavit, but that Mr. Cook had not done so.