Posted on 10/15/2019 12:39:14 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
A murder warrant for Aaron Dean, the Fort Worth officer who killed Atatiana Jefferson, tells what led up to the shooting from the perspective of her 8-year-old nephew, who was in the room with her when she was shot.
The boy told a forensic interviewer that he and his aunt were playing video games together about 2:30 a.m. Saturday when she heard noises outside. She took her handgun from her purse and pointed it “toward the window” before she was shot, the nephew said, according to the arrest-warrant affidavit.
The 8-year-old saw his aunt fall to the ground. Jefferson, 28, was pronounced dead at 3:05 a.m.
Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus said at a news conference Tuesday that it “makes sense that she would have a gun if she felt that she was being threatened or there was someone in the backyard.”
SNIP
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
No, it was the cops fault. The woman didn’t start blindly shooting through the window at an unidentified target. The cop it. It was tragic circumstances until the cop started shooting. At that point the cop’s negligence became criminal.
I get your point, but only 1 of the 2 armed people just started shooting at the other party. It wasn’t the home owner.
Are they thinking he needs to be arrested to ease their troubles of having to deal with the angry neighborhoods, or because he actually did something wrong?
Also I wouldn't necessarily believe the Chief has his actual finger on the pulse of the rank and file.
He shouldn't have gone into that woman's back yard without announcing himself, and that is his first mistake. He also should have just dodged out of the window view when he saw she had a gun, and if he fired intentionally, that was his second mistake.
I read comments yesterday that suggested he didn't actually intend to fire, but because he had a Glock, he may have fired it accidentally. It apparently doesn't have a safety, and will fire with the slightest touch on the trigger. The commenter claimed that he was still talking when the gun went off, so I shouldn't be surprised if he offers that as a defense.
I stated yesterday on another post that the victim was undoubtedly carrying a handgun at the time she was shot. This was obvious, as the police recovered a handgun from the same room where she dropped to the floor, and the photo of the handgun was blurred out as to the handle of the gun, suggesting that her hand was still on the gun. I also said yesterday we should reserve judgment. Unfortunately, my fellow conservatives have forgotten the two golden rules of police involved shootings. First, the media always lies and distorts the facts to make the police look bad and the victim look good. Second, the civil rights community always lies to make the police look bad and the victim look good. In this case, I think the victim was truly a victim and was not at fault. However, this most recent confirmed information that the victim pointed a handgun at the officer, confirms my hunch that the officer was merely negligent, and did not commit a crime.
Murder.
I wasted a lot of time on the Amber Guyger threads trying to acquaint people with this simple and long standing principle of law.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/mens_rea
A lot of people simply refused to grasp the idea, and wasted my time trying to reason with them.
I'm not going to do that again.
"Murder" is incorrect, because it requires criminal intent. Reckless homicide, or reckless manslaughter, or some such is more accurate. Texas law is written in a peculiar way to ignore the distinctions between accidental or reckless killing and criminal intent in killing.
He did exactly what he should have done. I don't think he's going to get out of this without prison time, but he has greatly improved his chances of lesser charges or lesser punishment by not cooperating.
Right now the cops want to burn him to make their lives on the streets easier. That's not the same thing as seeing justice done.
1) I own and regularly shoot a Glock 19. Fire with the slightest touch? That's 100% pure BS.
2) Rule 2: Never let your muzzle cover something you're not willing to destroy.
3) Rule 3: Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
4) Rule 4: Identify your target, and what is beyond it.
This murderous idiot violated at least two, probably three very basic rules of safe firearms handling, and displayed depraved indifference to human life. Lock him up.
Amen. There are often too few of those in these threads. Lots of sturm und drang, and not so much reason.
Suppose the defending homeowner had been a little quicker on the trigger, and shot the intruder before he shot her.
Would you consider that "merely negligent", or would you be damning her as a "cop-killer"?
That's his job. It's also what the voters in his district want him to do.
It isn't so until it's proven so.
I think you forgot the (sarc) thingy.
If cops are in the habit of skulking around backyards at 0230, then we really have a problem.
Just because a cop is called to a residence to do a welfare check does not authorize a search or departure from common access areas, knocking on the door, running lights and siren, using PA system all are inthe tool bag. Maybe a cell phone call could have been a good idea.
I think he needs to get jail time, but not specifically for his possible incompetence in handling a fire arm.
He had no business going into her back yard, and he had no business having his gun drawn when he was doing it.
I do not know if he fired intentionally, or accidentally from the shock of seeing someone who may or may not have been pointing a gun out the window.
But I do know he should not have been so reckless, and his recklessness cost a life, and so he should go to prison to atone in some small way for what he has done.
Did the officer have a lawful reason to be other than at the front door? I think his failure to announce will be a major point in the case. She probably never saw him. Died Wondering if her nephew was going to harmed....
Look out your window tonight, lights on inside, dark outside, I doubt you can see a man next to the bushes.... Then, step outside, next to the bushes, you can see inside quite well. Why was he in the position he was in?
You are correct
The case has not yet been presented to a Grand Jury
My guess is that the Grand Jury will indict.
A jury trial is a toss up.
An experienced cop would have taken two steps to one side where he would be out of sight from the window and make it clear he was a cop and if the reply did not please him, call for backup to surround the house and use the safety in numbers to figure out the next step.
I will bet he laid awake at night thinking about being a hero.
Instead, he is a zero.
Did he positively identify his target? Clearly not! He shot and killed an innocent citizen.
There's no question … the fact of a dead citizen clearly shows that his firearms handling was inconsistent with established rules of safety.
This wasn't just some unfortunate tragedy, any more than the Amber Guyger's act of murder was just some unfortunate tragedy. They are both examples of criminally negligent training, and depraved indifference to human life.
Once again: the police need to police themselves … or they will get policed. And they won't like it.
Rule #5: Rules 1 thru 4 sound great in theory but not so great when you are a rookie cop responding to a home where you suspect that a burglar is inside, its 230 am, and you suddenly see a gun being pointed at you. The deceased is truly a victim. However, I think you and others are being way over judgmental.
A GJ indictment may not be needed, DA/PAs can charge w/ o.
TX law may require one, but not certain, do you know?
With the first part, I agree completely. With the second part … If he had a legitimate reason to be scouting the back yard, his weapon should have been in a low-ready position, and he should have been using night vision or a flashlight NOT attached to his weapon to assist. I strongly oppose the used of weapon-mounted lights precisely because they encourage pointing a weapon indiscriminately at just about everything. I don't know if this individual was using a weapon mounted light, or a handheld light.
Agreed.
If you're a cop of some sort, please resign. NOW. Find some other way to make a living. I ask that of you for your own good, and for the good of We the People.
If you own any firearms or other projectile weapons, please sell them. All of them. I ask that of you also for your own good, and for the good of your fellow citizens.
Anybody who can post #116, as you did, and expect to be taken seriously, really should NOT be armed.
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