Former Forth Worth police officer convicted of manslaughter
Aaron Dean faces up to 20 years for the manslaughter conviction of Atatiana Jefferson
Fort Worth, Texas – Three years after the shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson, former Forth Worth police officer, Aaron Dean, has been convicted of manslaughter and is now awaiting sentencing.
Jurors deliberated for 13 hours and reportedly considered murder charges, but instead decided on the manslaughter charges that carry up to 20 years.
In 2019, Dean was responding to a non-emergency call to Jefferson’s home that her door was wide open. Jefferson was babysitting her 9-year-old nephew and they both were playing video games together. Jefferson opened her windows and door to allow her home to ventilate after her nephew burnt their meal trying to prepare it by himself.
Dean and another officer approached the home without identifying themselves as officers. Jefferson mistook the officers as someone snooping around her home and grabbed her gun. Jefferson pointed the gun at the officers and Dean shot Jefferson through a window.
Dean told allegedly Jefferson to put her gun down, but without identifying who he was, Jefferson refused to do so. Dean says that he was forced to shoot Jefferson or risk being shot himself by her.