Texas Cop Resigns After Fatally Shooting Woman Babysitting at Home
The Fort Worth police officer who shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson Saturday night resigned Monday morning, shortly before he was to be fired.
Fort Worth police interim Chief Ed Kraus identified the officer Monday afternoon as Aaron Dean. Kraus said before Dean resigned he'd planned to fire the officer for violations of use of force, deescalation protocols and unprofessional conduct. Kraus said the officer had already been stripped of his badge and firearm when he was issued an administrative warning Sunday.
"Nobody looked at that video and said there was any doubt that this officer acted inappropriately. I get it," Kraus said, referring to bodycam video of the shooting released over the weekend.. "We're trying to train our officers better, we're trying to shore up our policies and we're trying to ensure they act and react the way that the citizens intend them to, that they act and react with a servants heart instead of a warriors heart. There are times for officers to act as warriors and defenders, and there are times for them to act as public servants and humble servants."
Kraus said Dean's paperwork will reflect he was dishonorably discharged from the department and that with his civil service protection no longer in force he was able to release his name.
Kraus said Dean still faces possible criminal charges and added that he expected to have a substantial update in that investigation on Tuesday. Kraus added the case will be presented to the FBI for possible civil rights violations.
Jefferson was fatally shot early Saturday morning when a Fort Worth police officer responding to a welfare call fired on her from outside of her home. A neighbor told NBC 5 he'd noticed his neighbor's front door open for several hours, found it unusual, and called the department's non-emergency number.
The officer, identified Monday as Dean, arrived at Jefferson's home on the 1200 block of East Allen Avenue at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday.
Body camera video released by the Fort Worth Police Department showed Dean walking around outside the house with a flashlight. He then stopped, pointed his flashlight at a window and then drew his gun after seeing a person watching him from inside the house.
Dean is heard commanding, "Put your hands up, show me your hands," before firing his weapon once.
Inside the home, Jefferson, who was watching her 8-year-old nephew, was hit once and died at the scene. The child, though he witnessed the shooting, was not physically injured.
Kraus said Monday that officers receive calls via dispatch and are not aware whether the calls were made through 911 or non-emergency lines. He added that if an officer believes an open structure, building or residence may have been opened as part of a criminal act, it is standard for the officer to park away from the location. Welfare calls, Kraus said, are different and that the officer would typically park in front of the location and make his presence known.
NBC 5 previously reported that Dean did not identify himself as an officer prior to the shooting and that he parked away from the woman's residence.
Jefferson's family has retained attorney Lee Merritt. Merritt and the family held a news conference earlier in the day where they called on the police department to hand the investigation into the shooting over to an impartial third-party.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, who also spoke at Monday afternoon's news conference with Kraus, quoted scripture and called for the people of Fort Worth to wrap Jefferson's family in love and prayers.
"Justice is critical here, we know we cannot bring back this young woman who was taken all too soon. But this is a pivotal moment for a city that will and can come together, and we will take actions swiftly and with transparency," said Price.
An update from Kraus is expected Tuesday.
Photo Credit: NBC 5 News
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