TX - Atatiana Jefferson, 28, fatally shot at home, Fort Worth, Oct 2019 *officer charged*

[Hope4More]

Manny Ramirez, the president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, said that police officers approach open structure calls prepared for any number of situations: a burglar in the house, doors left open by residents, abandonment. Still, Officer Ramirez said that everyone he had spoken to within the department was dumbfounded as to why Mr. Dean opened fire.

“He’s such a young officer, not in age, but just young in tenure,” Officer Ramirez said. “It’s one of those things where we’re all at a loss and there’s no way to explain it. We can’t understand how this happened.”

[...]

Police response protocols vary, but Officer Steve Grammas, the president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, said that in most cases a call from someone concerned about a neighbor not answering the phone would most likely result in a door-knock from officers. If someone called about two doors open in the middle of the night, however, officers might immediately consider that the house was being burglarized, Officer Grammas said.

“It’s definitely more than just, ‘I’ll go see if the homeowners are O.K.,” he said. “You’re thinking maybe a break-in, maybe worse.” The calls that result in an open structure dispatch may sound similar to those that result in a welfare check, but the classification matters, Officer Grammas said. “They’re two different frames of mind for the officer,” he said.

‘No Excuse’: Fellow Officers Condemn Police Shooting of Fort Worth Woman

Helpful info, thanks.

I'm a bit baffled why LE would consider one open door of no great consequence, but two open doors a reason for responding LE to "immediately consider" a burglary "or worse" was unfolding/had occurred.

I know this was a quote by LVegas, not Dallas/FW LE.
But, if FWorth LE are trained to make the same assumptions, perhaps that explains why LE interpreted the information they heard in the neighbor's call as an "open structure" situation, no matter the neighbor's intent.

Two open doors, then; Dean prowled about very close to the house, and her bedroom where she was playing a XBox game with her nephew was on the ground floor.

Anyone who has ever played an XBox game with an 8 year old kid- or been in the same room, or the next room, or even a floor above, knows how LOUD that gets. The game is loud (any game other than Minecraft ), the kid is loud, and if the adult playing with the kid is really playing the game, SHE is loud too. )

How could Dean not have heard what was really happening in the house?

 

[Momof4RN]

Helpful info, thanks.

I'm a bit baffled why LE would consider one open door of no great consequence, but two open doors a reason for responding LE to "immediately consider" a burglary "or worse" was unfolding/had occurred.

I know this was a quote by LVegas, not Dallas/FW LE.
But, if FWorth LE are trained to make the same assumptions, perhaps that explains why LE interpreted the information they heard in the neighbor's call as an "open structure" situation, no matter the neighbor's intent.

Two open doors, then; Dean prowled about very close to the house, and her bedroom where she was playing a XBox game with her nephew was on the ground floor.

Anyone who has ever played an XBox game with an 8 year old kid- or been in the same room, or the next room, or even a floor above, knows how LOUD that gets. The game is loud (any game other than Minecraft ), the kid is loud, and if the adult playing with the kid is really playing the game, SHE is loud too. )

How could Dean not have heard what was really happening in the house?

I believe they were playing Call of Duty. Perhaps he couldn’t tell the difference between video gun sounds and real gun sounds?
I’m baffled that he walked by and ignored 2 cars in the driveway and it never occurred to him that homeowners could be in the home and perhaps he should check on them before hunting down a non existent bad guy. Seems to me he didn’t need a call from a concerned neighbor to first be concerned about innocent lives at risk during a possible crime. If only he had thought let me go inside and save a life. Moo

 

[grammieto5]

The nephew of the 28-year-old black woman fatally shot in her home by a white Fort Worth police officer over the weekend said his aunt drew a gun after hearing noises outside her house, according to an arrest warrant affidavit for the officer released Tuesday.

The details in the affidavit add weight to earlier accounts of the shooting from family members and city officials who said Atatiana Jefferson was trying to protect herself and the 8-year-old boy from what she thought was an intruder when she was killed early Saturday. The officer who shot Jefferson, Aaron Dean, resigned and was charged with murder on Monday.

[...]

But investigators did interview an officer who responded to the call with him. The officer, identified as C.A. Darch, told investigators Dean was standing between her and the house at the time of the shooting and that she could “only see Jefferson’s face” through the window when Dean opened fire, according to the affidavit.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/10/15/fort-worth-woman-killed-by-officer-heard-noises-outside-drew-gun-nephew-told-authorities/?outputType=amp

IMO these are going to be the key factors in a jury trial. There were two witnesses there. The first who was with AJ said they heard noises. He never indicated he or she heard or saw the police. The second who was with AD said she saw AJ’s face but never saw her gun and she herself has yet to indicate she perceived a threat.



I don't know why, I can't figure it out, BUT these words black woman really Really irritates. I feel like it's not showing her the respect that she deserves. I don't know, maybe it's just me.

 

[Hraefn]

I believe they were playing Call of Duty. Perhaps he couldn’t tell the difference between video gun sounds and real gun sounds?
I’m baffled that he walked by and ignored 2 cars in the driveway and it never occurred to him that homeowners could be in the home and perhaps he should check on them before hunting down a non existent bad guy. Seems to me he didn’t need a call from a concerned neighbor to first be concerned about innocent lives at risk during a possible crime. If only he had thought let me go inside and save a life. Moo

Also the fact that both screen doors were still shut and it was a perfect weather evening.

 

[Hraefn]

I don't know why, I can't figure it out, BUT these words black woman really Really irritates. I feel like it's not showing her the respect that she deserves. I don't know, maybe it's just me.

RSBM

Black isn’t a bad word. I don’t think it’s meant disrespectfully.

ETA: fix broken quote

 

[Momof4RN]

Also the fact that both screen doors were still shut and it was a perfect weather evening.

I really am interested to know where exactly he thought the owners were at 2:30am with lights on and cars in the driveway. Did he already assume they were dead inside? Did he think the cars belonged to the robbers? Did he think it was a hostage situation and the assailants had been there since 10pm?
ETA or maybe he thought they were tucked away fast asleep while robbers turned their home lights on and invaded their home for 4.5 hours?

 

[grammieto5]

I wonder about the nephew (8 years old) being questioned by investigators. I hope he had family with him. When the family said what the nephew told them, there was no mention of a gun. Officer Darch said she did not see Atatiana Jefferson with a gun. In one story she -Officer Darch- said she saw Atatiana’s face with her arms at her side. I’m sure we all remember how The Central Park 5 kids were questioned.

 

[grammieto5]

RSBM

Black isn’t a bad word. I don’t think it’s meant disrespectfully.

ETA: fix broken quote

My kids and Grandkids(well two of them) tell me the same thing. Guess it's just me. Maybe African American could be used instead.

 

[sds71]

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

Maybe African American could be used instead.

I don't know who coined this phrase; however, maybe, her heritage is not from Africa. Just because her skin color is "black," I personally don't think that we should make that assumption.

I am not offended when people label me as "white." I don't insist that they call me European American.

eta: What annoys me is how everyone says that they want to get past skin color, which we really should. Yet, the media and everyone else seems to insist on pointing out skin color in all aspects, good and bad.

 

[grammieto5]

I don't know who coined this phrase; however, maybe, her heritage is not from Africa. Just because her skin color is "black," I personally don't think that we should make that assumption.

I am not offended when people label me as "white." I don't insist that they call me European American.

Yeah that's true too. Since being labeled is now a thing, maybe female victim...….

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

Yeah that's true too. Since being labeled is now a thing, maybe female victim...….

Pointing out the race differences sells newspapers and gets viewership, IMO.

 

[Hope4More]

I believe they were playing Call of Duty. Perhaps he couldn’t tell the difference between video gun sounds and real gun sounds?
I’m baffled that he walked by and ignored 2 cars in the driveway and it never occurred to him that homeowners could be in the home and perhaps he should check on them before hunting down a non existent bad guy. Seems to me he didn’t need a call from a concerned neighbor to first be concerned about innocent lives at risk during a possible crime. If only he had thought let me go inside and save a life. Moo

Call of Duty? First person shooter games are banned in my home, but I'm familiar with the game. It's very loud & gameplay is about shooting, but the other LE on scene hasn't (yet?) said anything about perceiving a threat at all, much less one posed by hearing gunfire in the house. The sound I wonder most about not being heard is the sound of an 8 year old boy playing a first person action game.

Agree about his walking past two parked cars. Also, if you watch the whole video, Dean obviously looked into the (living room?) and saw nothing out of order. Nothing, nothing.

(As a fwiw: her nephew had to have been completely traumatized when he answered questions by LE (or Merritt?) about what happened. Eight years old, traumatized, in shock; scared at the time and his aunt was killed within 2-3 minutes of LE's first arrival.

Not sure, then, about the reliability/accuracy of
the statements attributed to him in the arrest affidavit relating to his aunt's gun).

 

[Hope4More]

My kids and Grandkids(well two of them) tell me the same thing. Guess it's just me. Maybe African American could be used instead.

Some First Nation peeps in the US prefer to be called Native Americans. Some dislike that term and prefer "Indian." Same thing, "black" & "African American."

 

[Kubirai]

Amber Carr, mother of the boy, was probably listed as the occupant of this address in Fort Worth police database. My hunch is that police officers assume most residents are non-white in that neighborhood.

 

[Hraefn]

Some First Nation peeps in the US prefer to be called Native Americans. Some dislike that term and prefer "Indian." Same thing, "black" & "African American."

IMO “Indian” and “black” are very different! But don’t want to get too off topic.

 

[Medstudies]

RSBM

Black isn’t a bad word. I don’t think it’s meant disrespectfully.

ETA: fix broken quote

I agree it’s not a bad word, but honestly, MOO, there are better words that should be considered.

In this case, it could’ve been written “the adult female victim” or “the person killed” or “Ms. Jefferson”...

Imagine if it had been a traffic fatality. How ridiculous would it seem if it were reported “the black female driver?

KWIM?

 

[Cool Cats]

Aaron Dean arrest warrant (3 pages)

Uploaded by:

Associated Press
News Agency
√ Verified

 

[Cool Cats]

Sorry Arrest Warrant Link posted 2x's
see above post...

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“This loss is one of the most unbelievable things you can ever imagine – to know that your sister was doing what she normally does and got killed for it,” Ashley Carr, Jefferson’s older sister, told USA TODAY in an interview that was published on Wednesday. “It’s hard to keep on going. Right now, it’s just really hard.”

She also loved science, got straight As in school and was a good friend, family members recalled. It was especially because of that kindness that Jefferson’s family said they were having a hard time with her death.
Atatiana Jefferson’s Family Invites The Public To Attend Her Funeral