Aaron York Dean, the police officer who shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson while inside her home on Saturday, was arrested and charged with murder in the shooting, according to court reports. This comes after Dean announced his resignation from the Fort Worth Police Department.
The incident occurred early in the morning, when Dean fielded a wellness check call from a neighbor in regards to Jefferson’s door being wide open. Having done a perimeter check, Dean saw a figure in the window and perceived it as a threat. That was when he shot and killed Jefferson with one bullet.
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In the body cam footage that was released, Dean never announced that he was with the police before firing. Fort Worth Police Lt. Brandon O’Neil announced that they will address this failure in their investigation.
Sgt. Chris Daniels announced Dean’s arrest at a press conference on Monday confirming that the arrest was made at 6 p.m.
“We value the trust we’ve had with our community,” Daniels explained. “We will continue to be as transparent as possible in all police matters.”
The family has also spoken to the media since the tragedy, with Jefferson’s father providing many of the statements. “I mean it’s senseless. My daughter… had her whole life in front of her,” Marquis Jefferson said.
One notable fact to come from the horrific scene was that Jefferson had her 8-year-old nephew, Zion, over her house.
Zion reportedly remembered much of the details, sharing with the family’s attorney, Lee Merritt, how Jefferson didn’t let him go near the window when what she perceived as a disturbance occurred.
“Zion surprises me with how much he recalls,” Merritt said at the press conference. “He was present the entire time, he never left the room… Tay did not allow him to check the windows, she checked herself…”
Over the weekend, the mayor of Fort Worth, Betsy Price, released a written statement about the incident.
“Writing a statement like this is tragic and something that should never be necessary,” Price started. “A young woman has lost her life, leaving her family in unbelievable grief. All of Fort Worth must surround Atatiana Jefferson’s family with prayers, love and support.”
“Chief Kraus and his command staff are acting with immediacy and transparency to conduct a complete and thorough investigation,” she went on. “More details are forthcoming and the Tarrant County District Attorney Law Enforcement Incident Team office will ultimately receive this case.”
