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Victim of Texas police shooting was armed, arrest warrant says

By Daniel Uria

Oct. 15 (UPI) -- An arrest warrant for a Fort Worth, Texas, police officer who shot and killed a woman in her home showed that she was holding a gun at the time of the shooting.

Authorities released the arrest warrant for former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean, 34, on Tuesday. In it, the 8-year-old nephew of Atatiana Jefferson, 28, said she pointed a gun at the window after hearing suspicious sounds outside of her home before she was shot.

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In the warrant, Dean's partner said she could only see Jefferson's face through the window and there was no other indication he could see the gun.

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said Monday that the gun was irrelevant to the investigation as homeowners in Texas have a right to be armed on their own property.

S. Lee Merritt, the attorney for Jefferson's family, criticized police for releasing information about the gun found in the room and called for reform of the police department.

"The city of Fort Worth has much work to do to reform a brutal culture of policing," Merritt said. "There needs to be a legislative change. They should not be afforded more protections other than citizens, they should be held to a higher standard, not a lower one."

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Interim Fort Worth police Chief Ed Kraus said Tuesday that there was "absolutely no excuse" for the fatal shooting of a black woman in her home by a white officer.

Kraus said he understands the community's "frustration and disappointment" after Jefferson was shot and killed in her home while police responded to a neighbor's call about open doors on the property.

"I, too, am frustrated and disappointed about what occurred, that officer's actions. We never want an officer response to a call to result in loss of life," he said.

Dean was arrested and charged with murder on Monday, the same day he resigned from the force.

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