Quote (Goomshill @ 14 Dec 2022 18:31)

https://files.catbox.moe/ujz1fp.mp4

On October 12th, 2019 in Fort Worth Texas, a concerned neighbor called the police to report a possible break-in across the road, at a house with its door and gates left open on a cold day and belongings strewn about in disarray. Police responded to it as an 'open structure' call, and followed the precinct's policy of investigating possible burglaries by trying not to alert anyone inside the home in order to avoid hostage situations. Officer Aaron Dean and his partner checked the door and then walked around back to find possible exits, and upon rounding a corner into the back yard through an already open gate, shined a flashlight into a window and saw 28 year old Atatiana Jefferson pointing a pistol right at him. He immediately shouted "put your hands up, show me your hands" and fired a single shot all in the span of a couple seconds, killing her. In the minutes that followed as they secured the scene and rendered aid, they found that there was no burglar, and Jefferson had presumably been defending her home from the unknown prowlers outside.

As per the testimony in the trial so far from use of force experts, there's no accusation that officer Dean was trespassing, and its clear he was following the police training for such a call. The only direct witness to the shooting, Jefferson's 8 year old nephew, gave a statement just after the shooting in which he said he saw her pointing the gun at him and had a clear enough view he was able to identify that the shooter was the male officer and the female officer behind him was not. Months later, after Jefferson's family filed a $10 million civil lawsuit against the Fort Worth police, the nephew recanted his testimony under oath and now says Atatiana was holding her gun at her side. The prosecution did not call any use of force experts during their entire arguments to argue against the defense witnesses that affirmed Aaron Dean was following police procedures, but then called a rebuttal witness who claimed Dean could have disregarded the procedures to call for backup instead of investigating the structure himself. The bodycam footage shown to jurors does not make clear what Dean saw, as its from a lower angle than his vision and through a window with a glare. The layout of the yard also makes it clear his exits were blocked to either side while looking in the window, due to an air conditioner and wall.



The trial will go to jury after closing statements today. Dean is charged with first degree murder, punishable by 99 years in prison.
The central question becomes whether a jury can accept that two people 'doing the right thing' and both acting reasonably could wind up in a situation in which they would both have equally valid claims to self defense when shooting at each other in the dark- that if Jefferson had shot Dean first, she would be justified under the same defense as Dean is claiming. The counterargument is that all cops are bastards

Quote (fender @ Dec 15 2022 11:53am)

you act like it's a fact that she was pointing a gun at him, but there is no witness to that, that's just what HE says. the nephew said she had the gun by her side, and it's undisputed that they never identified themselves as law enforcement. for further context, dean shouted "put your hands up" before immediately killing her, THROUGH A WINDOW, meaning it's less likely that she understood what he was shouting, and that she could even see, let alone clearly identify what he was, considering she was inside and he was outside.

Quote (Goomshill @ 15 Dec 2022 19:17)

There was an eyewitness that saw her point a gun right at him. The 8 year old nephew, who gave that statement voluntarily to a trained child psychologist immediately after the shooting and described in detail how he saw her point the gun, that there were two officers outside, one male one female, that the male shouted 'show me your hands' and then fired. All of which perfectly matches the bodycam footage and officer's account, in a statement that was recorded and clearly not coerced, with details not available to police at that time and made to a credentialed third party.

After her family filed a 10 million lawsuit, he retroactively changed his testimony and said she never raised the gun. He was clearly coached to lie, it doesn't take inspector clouseau to figure that one out. The family's interest is obvious.

On top of that, the ME showed how both gunpowder and glass stippling was present on her arms in a pattern demonstrating they were raised towards the window when a cone of glass erupted towards her from the officer'a bullet shattering it.

Quote (fender @ Dec 15 2022 12:48pm)

more lies and misrepresentations. police alledge he made a statement in which he said her gun might have been half way up (as in her arm was not hanging dead from her side), NOT pointed at a window into the dark, aiming at her own reflection, lol. that doesn't magically become "pointing a gun at him", and it makes no sense from the context.

Quote

of course you would immediately jump to the conclusion that the kid was "coached to lie", because you want it to be that way. it's not based on reality though, and the only eyewitness clarified that she did NOT point a gun at a window.

Quote

nice dodge on your lie about the neighbour "reporting a possible break in", the whole justification about his stealth kill approach,

Quote (JessiWan @ Dec 14 2022 09:42pm)

They thought the burglar was still inside the house and they didn't want a hostage situation.

Quote (thesnipa @ Dec 15 2022 01:32pm)

If the house was being burglarized why would there be a hostage situation? the cops had no info that the owner was inside afaik.

Quote

Darch testified last week that the pair did not identify themselves as police because the call was coded as an open structure and they did not want to alert a possible burglar inside. Dean’s attorneys claimed during opening arguments the Fort Worth Police Department has a general order in place to treat such calls the same as a silent alarm, resulting in the “tragic accident” of Jefferson’s death.

Quote (Goomshill @ Dec 15 2022 11:05am)

He very obviously was coached to lie and changed his testimony. There's not a person in the world gullible enough to believe he mistook what he saw on that night in his statement consistent with the bodycam and other witness and autopsy, but then magically realized his mistake after his family spent 2 years pushing for a $10 million lawsuit. He had no reason to lie in his initial statement, recorded and plainly neither coerced nor fed details. He had 10 million reasons to lie at trial.

Quote (Goomshill @ Dec 15 2022 03:08pm)

per the trial;



not the fort worth orders but a similar explanation mirroring it:

2-40 RESPONSE TO HOLD-UP/SILENT/PANIC ... https://www.cabq.gov/police/documents/2-40-response-to-hold-up-silent-panic-audible-alarms.pdf

The idea being there could be a burglar about to attempt to escape when he sees cops, or take hostages. Essentially they want to get the drop on a burglar when its still in progress

Quote (JessiWan @ Dec 15 2022 03:18pm)

Wouldn't that be perjury? Also, can an 8-year old be charged with perjury?

It sounds like it can easily fail. The defense lawyer just needs to ask, "Timmy, did your family tell you to say all this?" He's a child, he will fold easily.