A white Fort Worth police officer who shot and killed a black woman through a back window of her home while responding to a call about an open front door acted without justification and resigned Monday before he could be fired, the police chief said.And this:
Police bodycam video showed Aaron Dean approaching the door of the home where Atatiana Jefferson, 28, was caring for her 8-year-old nephew early Saturday. He then walked around the side of the house, pushed through a gate into the fenced-off backyard and fired through the glass a split-second after shouting at Jefferson to show her hands.
Dean was not heard identifying himself as police on the video, and Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus said there was no sign Dean or the other officer who responded even knocked on the front door.
Kraus said a criminal investigation is ongoing and he expects to release a “substantial update” by Tuesday on whether charges will be filed. The FBI also has been briefed to investigate possible civil rights violations, he said.Compared to Chicago, which dithered and delayed when Laquan McDonald was shot to pieces by a cop and then tried to cover it all up, Ft. Worth has been moving at just under the speed of light.
And then there was this:
[Ft. Worth Mayor Betsy] Price further commented on the photos police released of a gun found in Jefferson’s home. She said the gun was irrelevant and that Jefferson had a right to have a gun in her home.Because as they recognize in Ft. Worth, the 2nd Amendment applies to black people. Releasing a photo of her gun was an attempt to slur the victim, who did nothing wrong.
Kraus said police have previously released images of weapons to illustrate a perceived threat. But, he said, releasing the photos in this instance was “a bad thing to do.”
Before the days of body cams, Dean probably would have been yapping about "I was in fear for my life", figuring that he was the one live adult witness. But not any more.
They are backpedaling at a furious pace right now. Apologies all over, and well there should be. The video shows appalling police work, violation of numerous norms and rules, and a crazily fast shot without police being uttered once. I feel for the eight year-old nephew who now will always remember his aunt, Biology B.S. and working toward Medical School, crumpling at his home’s window from a faceless shooter that turns out to be the police.
ReplyDeleteThe charging here will be interesting given Texas law.
I thought about her yesterday when the cops showed up here for a “wellness check” because my housemate wasn’t answering her phone and was a little late in contacting her ex to make arrangements to drive her kids back to his house a couple hundred miles South of here as their weekend visit was over.
ReplyDeleteBasically, it was the kind of dick move that she divorced him over, “you aren’t paying attention to me so I called the cops.”
But while they were here making sure everything was OK, I couldn’t help but think how it could have been much different if we were black, especially since I am disabled and took a long time getting down the stairs to let them in.
-Doug in Oakland
Murder charge...that was quick.
ReplyDeleteOnly mitigating factor so far, the call was dispatched as an “open structure” versus “welfare check”...still doesn’t excuse the shoot, but makes some of the actions a little more clear.