The Police Officer Who Killed Atatiana Jefferson in Her Own Home Is Indicted for Murder

Source: Reason
Published: Dec 20, 2019
Author: Zuri Davis
Post Date: 2019-12-21 09:33:04 by Deckard
Views: 1781

Body camera footage captured Aaron Dean fatally shooting Atatiana Jefferson without announcing that he was a police officer.

Aaron Dean

(@fortworthpd/Twitter)

Former Texas police officer Aaron Dean has been indicted for the murder of Atatiana Jefferson.

As Reason reported in October, Jefferson was watching her nephew at home when a neighbor noticed that her doors were open and the lights turned on. The neighbor asked emergency services to conduct a welfare check. By the time Dean and another officer with the Fort Worth Police Department responded, the simple welfare check was logged as a burglary call. Body camera footage shows the two officers circling the house without identifying themselves. Dean then catches a glimpse of Jefferson in the window and shouts, "Put your hands up! Show me your hands!" He then shoots her fatally in her own home.

On Friday, a Tarrant County grand jury indicted Dean for murder. The trial date is pending.

In a press conference following Jefferson's death, Chief Edwin Kraus said that Dean resigned from the force the same day the department planned to fire him. Kraus also said there would be an investigation and a third-party review of the department's policies and training practices.

The city apologized in the same press conference for including a blurry still of a gun in the body camera footage released to the public. "The gun is irrelevant," Mayor Betsy Price said at the time. "She was in her own home caring for an 8-year-old nephew. [Jefferson] was a victim."

Post Comment   Private Reply

#1: misterwhite    To: Deckard (#0)

"The gun is irrelevant," Mayor Betsy Price said at the time.

In your dreams, Mayor Betsy Price. The gun is completely relevant. Had she not pointed it at the police officer she'd be alive today.

White cop. Black victim. THAT'S why he's being charged.

misterwhite posted on 2019-12-21 09:59:02   Reply   Private Reply


#2: misterwhite    To: Deckard (#0)

Body camera footage captured Aaron Dean fatally shooting Atatiana Jefferson without announcing that he was a police officer.

Well, that's assuming you believe that bad guys also announce their presence by shouting, "Put your hands up! Show me your hands!".

misterwhite posted on 2019-12-21 10:02:26   Reply   Private Reply


#3: Vicomte13    To: Deckard (#0)

Told ya so.

Vicomte13 posted on 2019-12-23 14:04:32   Reply   Private Reply