Dean did not identify himself as a police officer. Just as importantly, Dean was holding a flashlight pointed at Jefferson, which most likely obscured her view of the officer who fired the gun.
As previously reported, Dean resigned from the Forth Worth Police Department on Monday morning, Oct. 14, hours before he could be terminated by the interim police chief. Dean has been charged with Jefferson’s murder. He is free on $200,000 bond.
This new information has been released just as Dean has obtained legal counsel, Jim Lane. Lane said Dean has said “he’s sorry” and that his family “is in shock,” according to NBC 5.
Knowing that Jefferson’s survivors are hurting and that the Black community is outraged, Kraus, the interim police chief, implored people to resist the urge to paint the entire department with the same broad brush.
“Human life is a precious thing and should not have been taken from Ms. Jefferson,” Kraus said during Tuesday’s news conference, according to NBC 5. “[To the public] I ask you please do not let the actions of one officer reflect on the other 1,700. There’s absolutely no excuse for this incident, and the person responsible will be held accountable.”
