California Police Commander Dies During Training Assignment
Key Highlights
- Commander Scott Aaron was found deceased during a training assignment in Orange County.
- Aaron served in the Oxnard Police Department from 2004 until his death, holding numerous leadership roles, including commander since May 2025.
- He had a military background, serving in the U.S. Marine Corps before beginning his law enforcement career in 1996.
OXNARD, California -- The Oxnard Police Department is mourning the line-of-duty death of one of its own, who was found deceased while attending a training assignment in Orange County.
Commander Scott Aaron was participating in a weeklong training course scheduled to conclude on Jan. 9. After he failed to report to training Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department conducted a welfare check at his hotel, according to a news release
Aaron was located inside his room and was pronounced deceased at approximately 9:20 a.m. Friday.
At the time of the announcement, the cause of death remained under investigation. Officials said no foul play is suspected, and there is no indication the death will be attributed to anything other than natural causes. The Orange County Coroner’s Office is expected to conduct an autopsy in the coming days. The Oxnard Police Department said it will not comment further on the cause of death beyond the information released.
Aaron joined the Oxnard Police Department on Nov. 20, 2004, and served continuously until his death. He was promoted to the rank of commander in May 2025.
Before joining the department, Aaron served in the United States Marine Corps with a Security Force Company in Yorktown, Virginia, and later with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines in Twentynine Palms, California. His law enforcement career began in 1996 with the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office in Virginia before he returned to California in 2002.
During his career with the Oxnard Police Department, Aaron held a wide range of operational and leadership assignments, including patrol officer and sergeant, field training officer, range master, traffic officer, beat coordinator, family protection investigator and supervisor, major crimes sergeant, professional standards sergeant, patrol watch commander, and commander.
Police Chief Jason Benites praised Aaron’s service and leadership in a statement released by the department.
“Scott served our department and community with the utmost dedication, compassion, and professionalism,” Benites said in a statement. “He was a very hard-working and talented officer – an example for others to follow. If we needed something handled, and handled with excellence, we called on Scott. He loved Oxnard, he was proud of his service, and he was a dedicated husband and father. He will be remembered fondly with love and respect.”
Aaron is survived by his wife, Alice; daughter, Cheyanna; son, Cameron; his mother, Ruth; and his grandson, Jayson.
The Oxnard Police Department asked that the media and public respect the family’s privacy as they grieve his loss.