The Fort Worth, Texas, cop who killed 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson in her own home while she was playing video games with her nephew has been identified.
During a press conference that was attended by the likes of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Dallas Morning News, interim Police Chief Ed Kraus said the officer’s name is Aaron Dean. He reportedly resigned and has not been cooperating with police officers, the newspapers stated.
The police chief added that he came into work on Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, to officially terminate Dean from the force but Dean had tendered his resignation before the chief could see him in person.
The New York Times and Washington Post also reported that Dean could face criminal charges in Jefferson’s death due to a violation of several departmental policies.
“Nobody looked at this video and said that there’s any doubt that this officer acted inappropriately,” Kraus said according to the Dallas Morning News.
Fort Worth Police Officers Association President Sgt. Manny Ramirez added: “I feel like we had some failures here. It never should have happened.”
Dean has not yet been charged with any crime, but the investigation is ongoing, Kraus told local and national media.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price called Jefferson’s shooting death unjustified.
“I’m so sorry. On behalf of the entire city of Fort Worth, I’m sorry,” Price told reporters. “To Atatiana’s family, it’s unacceptable. There is nothing that can justify what happened on Saturday morning. Nothing.”
What makes the tragedy particularly poignant and heart-wrenching for Jefferson’s family members — and the Black community overall — is this: just a half-hour away in Dallas last week, a White ex-police officer, Amber Guyger, was convicted for commiting a similar crime against a Black man, Botham Jean.
Both Black residents were in their own homes when they were shot dead by police.
