Atatiana Jefferson 'pointed gun at window' before she was shot by Texas cop Aaron Dean, says nephew
FORT WORTH, TEXAS: An arrest warrant filed in connection with the shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson inside her home by an officer from the Fort Worth Police Department has revealed that she was pointing a gun outside her window when she was killed.
MEAWW previously reported that 34-year-old Aaron Dean was one of the two officers who responded to Jefferson's residence in the 1200 Block of E. Allen Ave at 2:30 am on October 2 after a neighbor called a non-emergency number to report that her door had been open for a couple of hours.
Bodycam footage shows that, on arriving at the scene, Dean slowly walked around the perimeter of the property and looked inside the windows, without ever identifying himself as a police officer. Then, when he spotted a figure moving inside, he drew his weapon, and yells, "Put your hands up! Show me your hands!" before firing without giving her a chance to respond.
She was declared dead at the scene and, on Tuesday, October 15, it was announced that Dean had been arrested and charged with murder.
It was also revealed that he had resigned from his position in the department the previous day as they prepared to terminate his contract.
His arrest warrant includes the perspective of Jefferson's eight-year-old nephew who was with her at the time of the shooting. The young boy told a forensic interviewer that he and his aunt were playing video games together when she heard noises outside.
He said she suspected an intruder and took her handgun from her purse and pointed it "toward the window" before she was shot. He added that he saw his aunt fall to the ground.
Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus, however, said there was "absolutely no excuse" for Dean's actions and that it "makes sense that she would have a gun if she felt that she was being threatened or there was someone in the backyard."
The warrant does not state that Dean told police he saw a weapon, with his partner Officer Darch similarly stating that the 34-year-old could only see Jefferson's face in the window before he opened fire. No gun can be seen in the bodycam footage either.
Kraus fought back tears as he expressed deep regret over the shooting and insisted it was "not indicative of the work they do every day".
"Human life is a precious thing, it should not have been taken from Ms. Jefferson," he said. "This incident has eroded the trust we have built with our community. We must now work even harder to ensure that trust is restored."
"There's absolutely no excuse for this incident, and the person responsible will be held accountable. Ms Jefferson's family and our community will have the last word, and the courts will speak on their behalf."
Dean has been released from jail after posting $200,000 bail.