Remember Atatiana Jefferson? Officer’s Murder Trial Will be Held Next Year



Innocent black woman killed by police
Atatiana Jefferson photo from WFAA.com

Update on the Murder of Atatiana Jefferson

It’s hard to keep track of all the wrongful deaths (murders) of Black people by police officers. There are just so many. But we can’t forget. We owe it to them to remember and to continue to seek justice.

Atatiana Jefferson was the woman who was shot through her window by an officer who worked for the Fort Worth Police Department. The shooting occurred on October 12, 2019. A neighbor had seen the front door open late at night and called the police to check on the family. He knew a mother, daughter and nephew lived at the address. Atatiana’s mother was at work. 28-year old Atatiana was taking care of her 8-year old nephew when she heard noises outside of the house. She went to look out her bedroom window and was shot and killed by Officer Aaron Dean.

The front door of the house was open but the screen door was closed. The lights were on in the house. There has been no indication that officers identified themselves as they prowled around the perimeter of the house. Nor that they stood to the side of the open door and listened for sounds coming from inside of the house. At the time the officers arrived, Atatiana was playing a video game with her nephew so odds are high, they should have been able to hear the sounds of them playing had they approached the door.

We don’t know the details of the case yet, but we have gotten some news. According to KSAT, “A judge in Texas has tentatively set an August trial date for a white former police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson, a Black woman who was fatally shot through a window.” Mr. Dean’s attorney is doing his best to stall the case as much as possible, that date will be almost two years after the shooting, but judgment day will come.

Dallas Police Officer kills man
Mugshot of Amber Guyger

Killer of Botham Jean Appeals Murder Conviction

Before there was Atatiana Jefferson, there was Botham Jean. He was killed by Amber Guyger, an officer with the Dallas Police Department. That was the case where Officer Guyger actually went into the wrong apartment, Botham Jean’s apartment, thinking it was her own and shot and killed Mr. Jean. If you want to refresh yourself on her testimony and how the prosecutor destroyed her, the video is on our post here.

After shooting Botham Jean, Officer Guyger calls dispatch and stays on the line. The whole time she appears to only be worried about herself. A man is bleeding to death at her feet and all she can focus on is what is going to happen to her.

I guess no one should be surprised that her attorney has filed an appeal and wants the murder conviction either thrown out or reduced to “criminally negligent homicide, which would carry a maximum punishment of two years in jail.” 

According to an August 8 article in USA Today,

“Jean’s family responded to the appeal expressing their disappointment:

“After admitting her crime and asking Botham Jean’s family for mercy — Guyger’s actions in filing this appeal reflect someone who is not repentant but instead was hoping to play on the families sympathies at the time that they were most vulnerable,” S. Lee Merritt, attorney for the Jean family, said in a statement, according to CNN.”

Yes, it definitely feels like Amber Guyger is used to getting her way and doesn’t feel she should have to face any real repercussions for her actions. I hope the appeal is denied. As it it, the 10 years she did get was on the low side in my opinion.

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