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| Fort Worth officer who shot woman dead in her home resigns | Fort Worth officer who shot woman dead in her home resigns |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The family of Atatiana Jefferson called on Monday for the firing and prosecution of the Fort Worth police officer who shot her dead inside her bedroom after arriving to conduct a welfare check. | The family of Atatiana Jefferson called on Monday for the firing and prosecution of the Fort Worth police officer who shot her dead inside her bedroom after arriving to conduct a welfare check. |
| The interim chief of Fort Worth police, Ed Kraus, subsequently said the officer, named as Aaron Dean, had resigned and would have been fired had he not done so. Kraus said Dean may face charges. | The interim chief of Fort Worth police, Ed Kraus, subsequently said the officer, named as Aaron Dean, had resigned and would have been fired had he not done so. Kraus said Dean may face charges. |
| 'That's murder': Fort Worth police officer shoots woman inside her home | |
| Jefferson, 28, was playing video games with her eight-year-old nephew in the early hours of Saturday morning, her family’s lawyer said, when she was killed by the officer who was outside the property, had not parked in front of the house, did not identify himself and appears to have given her no time to respond to his initial command before shooting through a window. | Jefferson, 28, was playing video games with her eight-year-old nephew in the early hours of Saturday morning, her family’s lawyer said, when she was killed by the officer who was outside the property, had not parked in front of the house, did not identify himself and appears to have given her no time to respond to his initial command before shooting through a window. |
| “There is simply no justification for his actions,” Ashley Carr, Jefferson’s oldest sister, said at a press conference on Monday morning. “She was enjoying her life in her home, where no one would have expected her life to be in harm’s way, especially not in the hands of a civil servant who had taken the oath to serve and protect. | “There is simply no justification for his actions,” Ashley Carr, Jefferson’s oldest sister, said at a press conference on Monday morning. “She was enjoying her life in her home, where no one would have expected her life to be in harm’s way, especially not in the hands of a civil servant who had taken the oath to serve and protect. |
| “We demand justice for Atatiana through an independent, thorough and transparent process.” | “We demand justice for Atatiana through an independent, thorough and transparent process.” |
| The officer, who was initially placed on administrative leave, was scheduled to be interviewed by the Fort Worth police department’s major case unit on Monday. He had worked for the department for about 18 months. | The officer, who was initially placed on administrative leave, was scheduled to be interviewed by the Fort Worth police department’s major case unit on Monday. He had worked for the department for about 18 months. |
| “This man murdered someone,” said Adarius Carr, Jefferson’s brother. “He should be arrested.” | “This man murdered someone,” said Adarius Carr, Jefferson’s brother. “He should be arrested.” |
| The officer is white. Jefferson was black. Lee Merritt, an attorney for the family, suggested that the response to a call to a non-emergency line at 2.23am on Saturday from a concerned neighbour who noticed the doors were open was escalated because the house is in a predominantly African American area of the Texas city. | The officer is white. Jefferson was black. Lee Merritt, an attorney for the family, suggested that the response to a call to a non-emergency line at 2.23am on Saturday from a concerned neighbour who noticed the doors were open was escalated because the house is in a predominantly African American area of the Texas city. |
| “This was a wellness call,” Merritt told reporters. “It’s beyond me to begin to understand what kind of police force responds to a wellness call with the equivalent of Swat. There were several officers prowling around the property … as if they were conducting some clandestine abstraction.” | “This was a wellness call,” Merritt told reporters. “It’s beyond me to begin to understand what kind of police force responds to a wellness call with the equivalent of Swat. There were several officers prowling around the property … as if they were conducting some clandestine abstraction.” |
| Merritt said the doors were open so a cool breeze would enter the house while Atatiana, who was known as “Tay”, played video games with her eight-year-old nephew, Zion, who was present when she was shot and will receive counselling. | Merritt said the doors were open so a cool breeze would enter the house while Atatiana, who was known as “Tay”, played video games with her eight-year-old nephew, Zion, who was present when she was shot and will receive counselling. |
| “I ask myself, what would have happened if that little boy went to the window instead of his auntie?” Merritt asked. “He saw her when she fell.” | “I ask myself, what would have happened if that little boy went to the window instead of his auntie?” Merritt asked. “He saw her when she fell.” |
| Jefferson was a biology graduate of Xavier University in New Orleans and reportedly worked in pharmaceutical equipment sales. Family members said she had decided to move into the property in order to look after her ailing mother. | Jefferson was a biology graduate of Xavier University in New Orleans and reportedly worked in pharmaceutical equipment sales. Family members said she had decided to move into the property in order to look after her ailing mother. |
| Merritt said a spate of fatal shootings by police in Fort Worth this year – Jefferson was at least the fifth person shot dead by an officer in 2019 – showed federal law enforcement should take over the investigation into the shooting, as well as conduct a review of what he described as systemic problems with the department. | Merritt said a spate of fatal shootings by police in Fort Worth this year – Jefferson was at least the fifth person shot dead by an officer in 2019 – showed federal law enforcement should take over the investigation into the shooting, as well as conduct a review of what he described as systemic problems with the department. |
| “Why this man is not in handcuffs right now is a source of continued agitation from this family and this community,” he said. | “Why this man is not in handcuffs right now is a source of continued agitation from this family and this community,” he said. |
| He criticised the department’s decision to release images of a gun police said was recovered from the property. Police have not said if they believe Jefferson was holding the gun when she was shot. Merritt said that the firearm was legally owned and that Jefferson was licensed to carry a handgun. | He criticised the department’s decision to release images of a gun police said was recovered from the property. Police have not said if they believe Jefferson was holding the gun when she was shot. Merritt said that the firearm was legally owned and that Jefferson was licensed to carry a handgun. |
| “We have communicated with the family and shared our serious and heartfelt concern for this unspeakable loss,” Lt Brendon O’Neil, a police spokesman, said on Sunday. | “We have communicated with the family and shared our serious and heartfelt concern for this unspeakable loss,” Lt Brendon O’Neil, a police spokesman, said on Sunday. |
| Body camera footage released by police shows an officer with a flashlight walk around the house. He appears to catch sight of someone inside, yells, “Put your hands up, show me your hands,” then fires a shot through a window less than a second later. | Body camera footage released by police shows an officer with a flashlight walk around the house. He appears to catch sight of someone inside, yells, “Put your hands up, show me your hands,” then fires a shot through a window less than a second later. |
| Jefferson died at the scene. | Jefferson died at the scene. |
| “She was a smart, ambitious, kind person with a nurturing spirit,” Ashley Carr said. | “She was a smart, ambitious, kind person with a nurturing spirit,” Ashley Carr said. |
| Another sister, Amber Carr, said Jefferson had planned to take her sister’s children to the State Fair of Texas last weekend and would help Zion get ready for school. | Another sister, Amber Carr, said Jefferson had planned to take her sister’s children to the State Fair of Texas last weekend and would help Zion get ready for school. |
| “He was the one who told me what happened,” she said. Her son is helping her take deep breaths “in the middle of the night when I’m crying”, she said. “He holds me, he hugs me.” | “He was the one who told me what happened,” she said. Her son is helping her take deep breaths “in the middle of the night when I’m crying”, she said. “He holds me, he hugs me.” |
| Jefferson was killed less than two weeks after Amber Guyger, a white former officer in nearby Dallas, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the murder of Botham Jean, a black man who was eating ice cream in his apartment when she burst in and shot him. | Jefferson was killed less than two weeks after Amber Guyger, a white former officer in nearby Dallas, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the murder of Botham Jean, a black man who was eating ice cream in his apartment when she burst in and shot him. |
| Guyger claimed she thought she was in her own home and believed he was an intruder. Merritt also represents Jean’s family. | Guyger claimed she thought she was in her own home and believed he was an intruder. Merritt also represents Jean’s family. |
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