Atatiana Jefferson Was Holding a Gun When She Was Shot by Cops in Her Own Home
Credit to Author: Tess Owen| Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 20:26:44 +0000
Atatiana Jefferson's 8-year-old nephew told forensic investigators that his aunt was holding a gun when she was shot dead by a Fort Worth officer Saturday night.
In an affidavit unsealed Tuesday and obtained by CNN, Detective A. Rimshas shed a little more light on the circumstances surrounding 28-year-old’s Jefferson’s death, which has gripped national news outlets for the past few days.
The child, whose name is redacted from documents, told a forensic investigator that he was playing "Call of Duty" with Jefferson at around 2 a.m. on Saturday morning when she heard a commotion outside. He said Jefferson retrieved a handgun, which she legally owned, from her purse. She raised her gun, pointed it toward the window, and was then shot dead through the window by Officer Aaron Dean.
Even though Jefferson might have been armed at the time of her death, Rimshas concluded that Officer Dean, who is white, was guilty of murder.
Fort Worth Police Department received a call from concerned neighbors at around 2:20 a.m., in the early hours of Saturday morning, saying the front doors of Jefferson’s residence were open, despite her cars being in the driveway.
READ: The cop who shot Atatiana Jefferson in her own home was just charged with murder
Two officers, including Dean, responded to the call. When they arrived, they found that that the front and side interior doors were open, but the glass “storm doors” were shut.
Dean’s body camera footage shows him using his flashlight to check inside the cars that were parked outside before he opened a gate, and then proceeded to the backyard around the side of the house. At this point, Dean had not announced his presence, according to the affidavit.
He then shone his flashlight into the window of a dark room at the back, saw a figure, and again, without announcing himself as law enforcement, shouted, “Put your hands up, show me your hands.” He then fired a single shot, which struck Jefferson.
The second responding officer, who was in the backyard but standing further back from Dean, told investigators that she saw a face through the window but did not see a gun.
Rimshas’ affidavit triggered an arrest warrant for Dean, who was taken into custody on Monday night.
Jefferson’s death came just a week after a white Dallas police officer was found guilty of murdering Botham Jean, a black man who was eating ice cream alone in his apartment when he was shot dead by the officer when she entered the apartment reportedly mistaking it for her own.
Cover: This Monday, Oct. 14, 2019 photo shows the bullet hole in the window at the back of the house in Fort Worth, Texas, through which Atatiana Jefferson, a black woman, was shot by a white police officer early Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/David Kent)
This article originally appeared on VICE US.