The white police officer who fatally shot a blackTexas woman in her own homeover the weekend has been arrested and charged with murder, authorities announced on Monday.
Dean is currently being held in the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth on a $200,000 bond, inmate records state.
It was not immediately clear if the former cop has attained an attorney yet.
Aaron York Dean.Fort Worth Police
“The family of Atatiana Jefferson is relieved that Aaron Dean has been arrested & charged with murder,” 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.”
In a statement on Facebook, Merrittadded, “Aaron Dean has been arrested. It’s a good start. He’s a bad apple. But don’t forget the bunch … it’s bad too (7 fatal police shootings in under 6 months) And who are picking these apples. There’s blood on their hands too. Accountability in Fort Worth is the long game.”
Jefferson, 28, was killed early Saturday morning when Fort Worth police responded to a welfare call in the 1200 block of E. Allen Avenue at around 2:30 a.m. A neighbor called authorities to report Jefferson’s front door was open, according toCNN.
Jefferson had been playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew when the call was made. The neighbor who called police used the department’s non-emergency line and asked for a wellness check out of concern for her safety.
“What I witnessed was three or four tactical officers come from around the corner … And in less than a minute, I heard gunshots,” the neighbor, James Smith, said,according to CBS News.
Atatiana Jefferson.Facebook
The officer, later identified as Dean, apparently never identified himself as police before firing.
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On Monday afternoon, Dean resigned hours before being fired,NBC News reports. He was originally placed on administrative leave and had been with FWPD since April 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,” Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus said at a news conference Monday.
That same day, Jefferson’s family spoke out during a separate press conference anddemanded justice for their loved one.
“This man murdered someone. He should be arrested,” Jefferson’s brother, Darius Carr, said during the news conference.
“There is simply no justification for his actions,” added Ashley Carr, according to USA Today. “We demand justice for Atatiana thorough an independent and thorough investigation.”
In the wake of the tragedy, Attorney Merritt created aGoFundMe pageto cover “funeral cost and other expenses associated with this tragedy.”
“I mean it’s senseless,” Marquis Jefferson,who was a father figure to Jefferson, told CBS News.“My daughter … had her whole life in front of her.”
source: people.com
