Texas Police Officer Charged With Murder of Black Woman Inside Her Home – Reports
A white police officer in Fort Worth, Texas was charged with murder after he shot dead a 28-year-old black woman inside her home, multiple media outlets reported on Monday.
Atatiana Jefferson was killed on Saturday at 2:30 a.m. by a single shot from officer Aaron Dean when he fired through a window into her home as she cared for her 8-year-old nephew.
The Fort Worth Police Department said that officers responded at about 2:25 a.m. Saturday after a neighbour called a non-emergency line to report that Jefferson's home's front door had been left open. The department added that officers saw someone near a window inside the home and that one of them fired after "perceiving a threat."
"The family of Atatiana Jefferson is relieved that Aaron Dean has been arrested & charged with murder," family attorney Lee Merritt wrote on Twitter. "We need to see this through to a vigorous prosecution & appropriate sentencing. The City of Fort Worth has much work to do to reform a brutal culture of policing."
At a news conference Monday afternoon, police chief Edwin Kraus announced that Dean had resigned and apologized for Jefferson's death. Kraus said he intended to fire the officer Monday for violations of the department's use of force and de-escalation policies.
"Nobody looked at that video and said there's any doubt this officer acted inappropriately," Kraus said. "I get it. We're trying to train our officers better, we're trying to shore up our policies, trying to ensure they act and react the way the citizens intend them to - that they act and react with a servant's heart, instead of a warrior's heart."
According to Kraus, Dean was hired by the department in 2017 and had been an officer since 2018. He had been involved in a traffic accident but had no other previous disciplinary incidents on his record.The Fort Worth Police Officers Association issued a statement Sunday calling for "a thorough and transparent investigation" into the shooting.
