The cop who killed Atatiana Jefferson while she played video games with her nephew will finally go to trial — next year.
Jefferson was shot to death in October of 2019 by former Fort Worth officer Aaron Dean, who stopped at her house for a “wellness check” in the middle of the night that went left. Local news station WFAA reports that Dean was supposed to be tried last year but the pandemic pushed the proceedings back. His trial was supposed to start on Nov. 16, a date that was pushed until Nov. 29 and then moved again to Jan. 10.
Dean, who is white, is charged with manslaughter in the death of Jefferson, who was black. If you don’t remember the case—we, know, it’s hard to keep track—here’s a reminder.
From WFAA:
Dean is charged with murder in Jefferson’s Oct. 12, 2019 death.
On that night, a neighbor had called police requesting a welfare check after he saw the door open at Jefferson’s Fort Worth home.
Jefferson, 28, was playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew when Dean walked into the backyard. She grabbed her gun and had gotten up to look out the window when she was shot, police records show. Jefferson died at the scene.
An arrest warrant stated three times that Dean did not announce that he was a police officer when he walked around the house.
Dean did not give any statement to Fort Worth investigators on why he shot, officials said. In such investigations, it’s common for a police officer to give a statement to investigators and to the internal affairs division of their police department.
Dean resigned before he could be fired, Fort Worth Police Department officials said.
We certainly hope that in this case justice delayed does not in turn become justice denied.