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Aaron Dean has been identified by the Fort Worth Police Department as the officer who open-fired on Atatiana Jefferson, who was unarmed in the comfort of her own home. Police Chief Ed Kraus during a press conference confirmed that Dean resigned from his job on Monday, October 14 and claimed that Dean would have been fired if he had not turned in his own resignation, according to Heavy.com.
“Had the officer not resigned I would have fired him for violations of several policies, including our use of force policy, our de-escalation policy, and unprofessional conduct,” Kraus said announced.
Jefferson was in her home when Dean fired through a house window. He directed the person to show their hands, but then “perceived a threat” and shot her in her bedroom. Atatiana’s eight-year-old nephew was also in the home at the time of the shooting.
Dean had been stripped of his badge and firearm one day prior.
The case has been presented to the FBI as a possible civil rights violation.
“The individual, a black female, who resides at the residence succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased on the scene,” a statement from the police department read. “The officer, a white male who has been with the department since April of 2018, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome [of] the critical police incident investigation.”
The 35-year-old officer was responding to a welfare check at Jefferson’s home after a neighbor had noticed the door was left open.
Dean had been with the police department since his hiring in August 2017 before being commissioned in April 2018. Before joining the police force, Dean graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in physics.
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