Indicted on murder! Aaron Dean, the White Texas cop charged after shooting black woman dead through the window of her own home as she played with her nephew, two months ago
A white police officer in Forth Worth, Texas who shot and killed a black woman in her home two months ago was indicted for murder Friday
Aaron Dean, 35, was charged with murder for shooting Atatiana Jefferson, 28, through the window of her home as she babysat her nephew on Oct 12
Dean was one of the responding officers when police arrived to her house after a neighbor called a non-emergency line requesting a welfare check
The neighbor had called police because Jefferson’s door had been left open, and a neighbor reported seeing lights on and her front door open around 2.25am
Bodycam footage captured the moment officer Dean investigated the perimeters of Jefferson’s home before he saw a person standing near a window inside the home and fired his gun
The shooting sparked outrage and Dean resigned from the police department two days after the shooting
Former Dallas police officer Aaron Dean, [photo], was indicted on murder charges by a Texas grand jury Friday. He is accused of fatally shooting Atatiana Jefferson, a Black homeowner, through her back window after responding to a call about the front door being open on Oct 12
The grand jury indictment was made Friday, the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office told NBC News.
‘The former @CityofFortWorth cop that shot #AtatianaJefferson to death in her home was indicted for murder by a Tarrant County Grand Jury today!,’ Jefferson family lawyer S. Lee Merritt, Esq. tweeted after the indictment.
‘Atatiana’s family is relived but remain cautious that a conviction and appropriate sentence is still a long way away. Keep pushing.’
Dean resigned from the police department after the shooting, which took pace while Jefferson was babysitting her eight-year-old nephew.
Dean was one of the responding officers when police arrived to her house after a neighbor called a non-emergency line requesting a welfare check at the home because the door had been left open.
A makeshift memorial rests on the sidewalk that leads to the home of Atatiana Jefferson in Fort Worth, Texas
Bullet hole from the police officer’s shot is seen in the rear window of Atatiana Jefferson’s home in Fort Worth, Texas on Oct 15
![Aaron Dean, [left], and Atatiana Jefferson, [right] 1.JPG](https://i0.wp.com/konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Aaron-Dean-left-and-Atatiana-Jefferson-right-1.jpg?resize=620%2C450&ssl=1)
Bodycam footage shows former officer Aaron Dean [left], shot black homeowner Atatiana Jefferson [right], early on the morning of Oct 12, after entering her backyard
Victim: Atatiana Jefferson [L-R] was playing video games with her eight-year-old nephew Zion when Aaron Dean responding to a welfare check call arrived and crept around the back of the home, gun drawn and unannounced, according to his arrest warrant and bodycam video
Bodycam footage of Atatiana Jefferson being shot in own home by Fort Worth police was released by authorities – The bodycam video shows the officer outside the home, peering into a window using a flashlight and spotting someone inside standing near a window and telling her, “Put your hands up — show me your hands.” A single shot is fired seconds later.
Dean cannot be heard identifying himself as police on the video. Police said Dean drew his gun after ‘perceiving a threat’ but that there was no sign he or the other officer who responded ever knocked on the front door.
A gun was found in Jefferson’s home after the shooting, but police and city leaders have said it was not relevant to her death.
Fort Worth Police Department Chief Ed Kraus said Dean was dispatched to investigate an ‘open structure call,’ a situation which could mean a door left open by accident or a burglary in process.
Atatiana was playing video games with her eight-year-old nephew Zion when Dean arrived and crept around the back of the home, gun drawn and unannounced, according to his arrest warrant and bodycam video.
The victim heard noises, pulled her handgun out of her purse and pointed it at a bedroom window, Zion told police, according to the warrant.
Dean shined his flashlight into the window and said: ‘Put your hands up, show me your hands!’
He fired a split second later, without identifying himself as police, bodycam video showed.
Police Chief, Ed Kraus [photo], said officer Dean violated a series of police policies and it was understandable that Atatiana would draw her gun in such a situation
Funeral service held November for Atatiana Jefferson, in Fort Worth, Texas was attended by hundreds of mourners, including Fort Worth’s mayor and the interim police chief in Dallas.
Kraus said Dean violated a series of police policies and it was understandable that Atatiana would draw her gun in such a situation.
‘We have completed an initial review of the case, and based on the evidence we intend to ask the Grand Jury for an indictment of murder against Aaron Dean,’ Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Sharen Wilson said in a statement.
‘We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.’
Dean worked for the Fort Worth Police Department for two years before his resignation. He was interviewed in March 2017 after he completed training at the police academy and was hired the following August.
Hundreds of mourners attended Jefferson’s November funeral, including Fort Worth’s mayor and the interim police chief in Dallas.
The service for the pre-med graduate took place just days after it was rescheduled due to a family dispute.
Leave a Reply