Fort Worth police officer who fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson indicted on murder charge
Source: NBC News
Dec. 20, 2019, 2:02 PM EST
By Erik Ortiz
A Texas grand jury on Friday indicted a former Fort Worth police officer for murder after fatally shooting a woman who had been babysitting her nephew at home in a case that drew public outcry for police accountability.
The Tarrant County District Attorney's Office confirmed the indictment for the former officer, Aaron Dean, 35, in the shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson, a 28-year-old pre-med graduate student.
Lee Merritt, an attorney for Jefferson's family, tweeted that they are relieved with the indictment, but "remain cautious that a conviction and appropriate sentence is still a long way away."
Image; Former Fort Worth officer Aaron DeanFormer Fort Worth officer Aaron Dean.Tarrant County Jail
In the week after Jefferson's death, Tarrant County prosecutors said they had enough evidence to ask for the grand jury indictment, and said in a statement "we will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law."
The case led to a rare murder charge against a police officer in the United States, when Dean was initially arrested just days after the incident occurred. He resigned from the Fort Worth Police Department prior to his arrest.
"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," Police Chief Ed Kraus told reporters.
Dean and another officer were responding to an early-morning house call after a neighbor became concerned when they noticed the front door of a home, which belonged to Jefferson's mother, was left ajar and requested a welfare check.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fort-worth-police-officer-who-fatally-shot-atatiana-jefferson-indicted-n1105916
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