The Fort Worth Cop Who Fatally Shot A Black Woman In Her Own Home Has Resigned

The white Fort Worth police officer who shot and killed a 28-year-old black woman in her own home this weekend resigned Monday — before he could be interviewed by the police department.

At a press conference Monday, Fort Worth police Chief Ed Kraus said that he had intended to fire the officer, Aaron Dean, but Dean resigned before that could happen. Kraus did not provide Dean’s age but said that he had been with the department since 2018.

“Had the officer not resigned, I would have fired him for violations for several policies, including our use of force policy, our de-escalation policy and unprofessional conduct,” Kraus said.

Dean was responding to a welfare call with another officer when he fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson through the window of her home. Jefferson had been playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew late into the night. The child was present in the bedroom where his aunt was fatally shot.

Kraus said that Dean was not being “cooperative” with the interview process and that he tendered his resignation before police could interview him as part of their investigation.

Jefferson’s family on Monday urged the police department to recuse themselves from investigating the shooting and called for an independent third-party investigation.

However, Kraus said that his department would continue with both the criminal and the internal affairs investigations into the shooting.

Kraus did not address possible criminal charges for the officer during Monday’s news conference. He said he would provide an update about the criminal investigation on Tuesday.

Kraus said that he has asked the FBI to review the case for possible civil rights violations.

“I certainly cannot make sense of why she had to lose her life,” Kraus said. “I’m so sorry for what occurred.”

In an earlier press conference Monday, Jefferson’s family, along with civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, questioned why the officer had not yet been arrested.

“This man murdered someone,” Darius Carr, Jefferson’s brother, said. “He should be arrested.

The family called for the Justice Department to take over the investigation into the shooting, calling the Fort Worth police department “incompetent” to investigate one of its own officers.

Merritt said that family expected the officer to be criminally charged, “vigorously prosecuted and appropriately sentenced.”

Calling the Fort Worth department “one of the deadliest police departments” in the country, Merritt said there was a need for “serious, systematic reform.”

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Before law enforcement goes about their pattern of villainizing this beautiful peaceful woman, turning her into a suspect, a silhouette, or threat, let me tell you about 28 y/o #AtatianaJefferson “Tay”. She was a premed graduate of Xavier University. She was very close to her family. She was the auntie that stayed up on Friday night playing video games with her 8 year old nephew. She worked in pharmaceutical equipment sales. Her mom had recently gotten very sick, so she was home taking care of the house and loving her life. There was no reason for her to be murdered. None. We must have justice.

A post shared by S. Lee Merritt, Esquire (@leemerrittesq) on Oct 12, 2019 at 3:37pm PDT

Jefferson with her nephew.

Police arrived at Jefferson’s house after her neighbor, James Smith, used a non-emergency police line to request a check on her residence after becoming concerned that both the front doors were open with the lights on.

The officers did not park their car in front of the house, knock on Jefferson’s door, or identify themselves as police officers during the incident.

Police released body camera footage that showed the officers creeping around the property in the dark, whispering to each other.

The footage showed Dean opening a gate and going to Jefferson’s backyard. Within seconds of entering the backyard, Dean peered through a window behind which he presumably saw Jefferson. He raised his gun and shouted “put your hands up, show me your hands,” before firing a shot — all in less than four seconds.

Jefferson’s family with attorney Lee Merritt (center) at a press conference Monday.

Jefferson’s oldest sister, Ashley Carr, described her as a “smart, ambitious, and kind person with a nurturing spirit.”

Jefferson, a premed graduate of Xavier University, was “committed to furthering her education,” her sister said. She had moved into their mother’s home to take care of her as her health had declined. Her mother was in the hospital at the time of the shooting.

Jefferson’s relationship with her nephew, Zion, was “undescribable,” his mother and Jefferson’s other sister, Amber Carr, said Monday.

Zion was playing the video game, Call Of Duty with his auntie Tay, as Jefferson was affectionately known on Saturday night. Jefferson had left both her front doors open to let a cool fall breeze into the house on Saturday, Merritt said. The two lost track of time and continued playing the video game late into the night when they heard someone “prowling around in the bushes,” Merritt said.

He said that Jefferson went to the window to see what was happening when she was shot by the officer.

“What would have happened if that little boy had gone to the window instead of his auntie?” Merritt said.

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price apologized to Jefferson’s family and the Fort Worth community on Monday, saying, “Nothing could justify what happened on Saturday morning.”

She also said that the gun found in Jefferson’s home was “irrelevant.”

The city was planning to convene a third-party panel of national police experts to review the Fort Worth police department which has come under fire for at least six fatal officer-involved shootings this year.

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