Crime & Safety
Community Rallies Around Wounded Aberdeen Officer
Donations pour in to help Officer Jason Easton and his family after he was shot in the face Friday.
In less than 12 hours after an Aberdeen police was shot in the face, a GoFundMe account set up to help with medical expenses for Officer Jason Easton has raised more than $3,000.
Easton was in the backyard of a residence in the 500 block of Ohio Court in Aberdeen early Friday morning responding to a suspicious circumstance when a man shot him from the tree line, officials said.
He was flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he underwent surgery Friday evening.
Police said that Easton’s surgery went well.
Brendan Hopkins, who started the GoFundMe account for Easton, said that surgeons were not able to remove a piece of shotgun pellet from his eye, and the money will go toward things like travel expenses as the officer will likely need additional surgeries and medical visits.
Aberdeen Police Chief Henry Traber said the officer and his wife have very young children. He noted that Easton was well liked in the community and said: “It’s a sad day for us at the police department.”
Two men have been arrested in connection with the shooting, according to the Aberdeen Police Department, which reports 21-year-old Tyler Scott Testerman and 26-year-old Scott Patrick Lawrence will be charged with attempted murder and other offenses.
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