Ex-sheriff’s deputy facing new charges in 2020 fatal shooting of unarmed man

Danielle Dawson
·2 min read
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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A grand jury indicted a former San Diego County Sheriff’s deputy with federal civil rights charges on Friday for the fatal shooting of an unarmed detainee outside the downtown San Diego jail in 2020.

Aaron Russell, 27, had pleaded guilty to a voluntary manslaughter charge in connection to the death of arrestee, Nicholas Bils, on May 1, 2020. The 36-year-old had been taken into custody for allegedly threatening park rangers at Old Town State Park with a golf club.

When officers brought him to the downtown jail, Bils was able to partially escape his handcuffs and slipped out of a California State Parks officer’s car. As he fled, Russell fired four shots at Bils, striking him in the back, arm and thigh. He died as a result.

Prosecutors said none of the other officers present at the scene drew their weapons at the 36-year-old tried to slip away.

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Russell, who was 23 years old when the shooting occurred, had been with the department for 18 months. Shortly after the incident, he resigned from his role.

In 2022, Russell was sentenced to three years probation and one year in jail for voluntary manslaughter — a downgrade from the initial second-degree murder charge sought by the San Diego County District Attorney.

The shooting also led to a $8.1 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against San Diego County by Bils Family.

Now, Russell could face more jail time on the new felony charges of depriving Bils of his right to be free from officers using excessive force and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, according to the Department of Justice.

If convicted on the charges, federal prosecutors said in a release Russell could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. Russell is scheduled to be arraigned in court on the new charges at 2 p.m. on Friday.

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