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

[Hope4More]

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

O/T

Dang. I'm curious why you think so.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

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?

KWIM? "Know What I Mean?”

 

[Hope4More]

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?

O/T

If the traffic fatality was due, say, to a white supremacist driving his car into a crowd of protestors, it would be straightforward ridiculous to omit reference to the driver's race, right? His race was indisputably factually relevant.

A cop killing a civilian is always newsworthy. A cop killing an unarmed civilian is even more newsworthy, as is a cop killing a civilian in her own home, whether or not the civilian was armed.

For a great big bunch of peeps, the race of both cop & dead civilian in a fatal LE shooting is very relevant, especially when the use of deadly force seems or just plain is unjustifiable.

Readers and/or viewers can decide for themselves if race played any part in this or in any other use of deadly force by LE, but omitting mention of the race of both shooter & killed would be journalistic malpractice. And extremely counterproductive. jmo

 

[Cool Cats]

Aaron Dean refused to talk to detectives after killing Atatiana Jefferson

Meanwhile, her 8-year-old nephew has bravely had to recount details after details about his aunt's murder

Likely traumatized from the unthinkable event, Jefferson’s nephew has had to recount that story to police over the last few days.

• As for Dean, he has not. He abruptly quit the force after killing Jefferson, made bond after being charged with her murder, and unlike an 8-year-old child who has had to man-up and speak up, Dean refuses to cooperate and speak with detectives about the case, CNN reports.

What we know from Dean’s attorney Jim Lane is that the trigger-happy cop says he’s “sorry.” But the Fort Worth attorney declined to talk about the case, reports say.

 

[grammieto5]

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."

Yep, if I have to be called either Mexican or Hispanic, I choose Mexican.

 

[grammieto5]

O/T

Dang. I'm curious why you think so.

Me too, cuz I'm nosey like that.

 

[grammieto5]

Aaron Dean refused to talk to detectives after killing Atatiana Jefferson

Meanwhile, her 8-year-old nephew has bravely had to recount details after details about his aunt's murder

Likely traumatized from the unthinkable event, Jefferson’s nephew has had to recount that story to police over the last few days.

• As for Dean, he has not. He abruptly quit the force after killing Jefferson, made bond after being charged with her murder, and unlike an 8-year-old child who has had to man-up and speak up, Dean refuses to cooperate and speak with detectives about the case, CNN reports.

What we know from Dean’s attorney Jim Lane is that the trigger-happy cop says he’s “sorry.” But the Fort Worth attorney declined to talk about the case, reports say.

How sad it is that an innocent child has to act like an adult and an adult gets to act like an innocent child. I wonder, does the nephew have an attorney?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

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."

I like Native American and Indian both. I usually refer to myself as Indian. My gggg? (I’m not for sure how many greats she has in her name)...grandma. I call her Tabiatha. This is her name. She is listed on the rolls as Squaw. Offensive to me. imo

 

[Cool Cats]

How sad it is that an innocent child has to act like an adult and an adult gets to act like an innocent child. I wonder, does the nephew have an attorney?

The Jefferson family has the same Civil Rights attorney that Bothem Jean's family has,
Lee Merritt. Here he is with Ashley Carr (L) and Amber Carr (R) Tatiana's sisters.

He said this about Atatiana's nephew:

“He saw her when she fell,” he said sadly. “He has found a way to maintain more composure than the Fort Worth police dept. He still offers his mother and family consolement. He encourages his mother when he hears her crying in the middle of the night… He’s learned coping mechanisms in school and he encourages his mother to try one of those out.”

 

[grammieto5]

Well that's good to know. So then Lee Merritt is sitting right next to the nephew when he's being question? Hopefully his Mom will be there too.

 

[Hope4More]

I like Native American and Indian both. I usually refer to myself as Indian. My gggg? (I’m not for sure how many greats she has in her name)...grandma. I call her Tabiatha. This is her name. She is listed on the rolls as Squaw. Offensive to me. imo

. (And, "squaw" is offensive, period.)

 

[Safeguard]

O/T

If the traffic fatality was due, say, to a white supremacist driving his car into a crowd of protestors, it would be straightforward ridiculous to omit reference to the driver's race, right? His race was indisputably factually relevant.

A cop killing a civilian is always newsworthy. A cop killing an unarmed civilian is even more newsworthy, as is a cop killing a civilian in her own home, whether or not the civilian was armed.

For a great big bunch of peeps, the race of both cop & dead civilian in a fatal LE shooting is very relevant, especially when the use of deadly force seems or just plain is unjustifiable.

Readers and/or viewers can decide for themselves if race played any part in this or in any other use of deadly force by LE, but omitting mention of the race of both shooter & killed would be journalistic malpractice. And
extremely counterproductive.
jmo

Bbm
It should be part of the story but (imo) not the headline. That just screams agenda. "Woman Shot and killed by Officer in Her Own Home" is the main point. The acount of the incident should include all the available details.

But media seems to prefer the:
"Oh Look! Yet another black person shot by racist cop!" Headline.

A mishandled call is why this guy found himself with a gun pointed at his face. The woman would be just as dead were she white.

 

[Cardinal47]

"... The boy said she had the handgun raised and pointed toward the window. This is when Jefferson was shot. ..."

Exactly. She pointed a loaded gun at a police officer who was in response to an open structure call, not a welfare check, at 2:30AM on a weekend night in the highest crime area of Fort Worth. Period.

In the body camera footage there is another officer's back captured on film moments before the shot was fired. The officer fired in defense of self and the other officer.

It's tragic, but this is not a crime. The charge of murder is political. Imo this interim chief can count the hours until he is forced into retirement. He was wrong to say the still frame of the gun shouldn't have been released. He was wrong to rush to judgment and he does not have his officers backs, now they don't have his.

I did not realize all of this. Why exactly did the neighbor call the police?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The pair had lost track of time playing Call of Duty — with the open doors of the house letting in a cool breeze — when they heard a noise coming from the back yard. They went to find out what it was.

“His mom tells me that she can see little changes in his character,” he said. “Now when entering a room, he’ll kind of wait and watch the adults go in first. He’ll wait to see if the coast is clear and then he’ll enter.”

Zion — the family didn’t want to reveal his last name — was taken by Texas Child Protective Services early Saturday after his aunt was killed, Merritt said. He had been living with Jefferson in Fort Worth while his mother, a Dallas resident, was going through home occupational therapy after open heart surgery.

Zion’s mother picked him up Saturday from CPS, though she didn’t immediately knew why he was there, Merritt said. She asked him when she arrived.

“He said, ‘Because the cop shot my auntie,’” Merritt said.
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article236321608.html

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[Momof4RN]

I did not realize all of this. Why exactly did the neighbor call the police?

Police said officers went to Jefferson's home early Saturday morning after her neighbor called the department's non-emergency number, saying the front door of the home had been left open.

"We don't feel safe": Fort Worth residents outraged over police shooting of black woman in home

 

[Cool Cats]

Well that's good to know. So then Lee Merritt is sitting right next to the nephew when he's being question? Hopefully his Mom will be there too.

According to his mom and uncle, he will be getting professional help.

"..We’ve noticed things about him that changed, but he’s a strong one, Adarius Carr said. We’ll get him the treatment he needs to make sure he’s good … He’s doing strong, we believe in him..”
"..Amber Carr said her son will be getting counseling.."

Atatiana Jefferson’s nephew watched her get killed by Fort Worth police. The aunt may have saved the boy’s life

Atatiana Jefferson’s Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com

His interview was done in a special way designed for the child's best interests.
He was interviewed by a forensic interviewer:

FORENSIC INTERVIEWS

The Alliance For Children Forensic Interview Team assists Tarrant County law enforcement and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services by conducting specialized investigative interviews of children.

The goal of a forensic interview is to gather pertinent information from children in a neutral, non-leading, and legally defensible manner.

The forensic interview allows our partners to observe as the interview is taking place. This lessens the trauma to victims while sharing their story in a developmentally appropriate and trauma-sensitive setting.

 

[Safeguard]

I did not realize all of this. Why exactly did the neighbor call the police?

 

[Rocky1]

Do you think Atatiana had a right to defend her home with deadly force under the TX castle doctrine?

Under these circumstances, no.
Not that it matters, because she never fired her weapon, but for conversation sake....
The cop was not inside the castle.
The cop was not attempting to break in.
The cop was not attempting to kidnap anyone.
In Tx., you can shoot a thief, but you can't shoot a trespasser.
Nor can you shoot anyone that breaks in to your detached garage, or shed.
The Tx Castle doctrine does not mean you can shoot anyone on your residence.(Property)

Section one, Subsection a. Tx. Penal code 93.1.

 Except as provided in Subsection (b), a person is justified in using force against another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to protect the actor against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful force.  The actor's belief that the force was immediately necessary as described by this subsection is presumed to be reasonable if the actor:
(A) unlawfully and with force entered, or was attempting to enter unlawfully and with force, the actor's occupied habitation, vehicle, or place of business or employment;

Texas Penal Code § 9.31 | FindLaw
Texas Penal Code § 9.32 | FindLaw

Having said that. I don't believe that cop had any right to shoot her either, and unlike her, he did fire his weapon.
IMO, if he was yelling at her to show her hands, that to me means that he couldn't see her hands, which means he couldn't see a gun. So why would he fear his life was in danger?

 

[Momof4RN]

Under these circumstances, no.
Not that it matters, because she never fired her weapon, but for conversation sake....
The cop was not inside the castle.
The cop was not attempting to break in.
The cop was not attempting to kidnap anyone.
In Tx., you can shoot a thief, but you can't shoot a trespasser.
Nor can you shoot anyone that breaks in to your detached garage, or shed.
The Tx Castle doctrine does not mean you can shoot anyone on your residence.(Property)

Section one, Subsection a. Tx. Penal code 93.1.

 Except as provided in Subsection (b), a person is justified in using force against another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to protect the actor against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful force.  The actor's belief that the force was immediately necessary as described by this subsection is presumed to be reasonable if the actor:
(A) unlawfully and with force entered, or was attempting to enter unlawfully and with force, the actor's occupied habitation, vehicle, or place of business or employment;

Texas Penal Code § 9.31 | FindLaw
Texas Penal Code § 9.32 | FindLaw

Having said that. I don't believe that cop had any right to shoot her either, and unlike her, he did fire his weapon.
IMO, if he was yelling at her to show her hands, that to me means that he couldn't see her hands, which means he couldn't see a gun. So why would he fear his life was in danger?

But theoretically if she thought there were intruders in her back yard (not knowing they were police) and they had, in fact, intended to make entry into one of the low and quite accessible windows to steal or kidnap she could then be covered under the castle doctrine law as they made entry into a window. Correct?