In Fort Worth, Texas, another white cop shot another black person dead inside her own home.
This is a developing story. Read details here and here.
Update: Fort Worth Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus announced Monday morning that the cop who shot Ms. Jefferson, who he identified as Aaron Dean, would have been fired for violating multiple department policies if he hadn’t given resigned. Later on Monday, Dean was arrested, charged with murder, and booked into jail; he is currently free on $200,000 bond.
On Tuesday, NBC News reported that according to Ms. Jefferson’s nephew, who was with her when she was killed, she retrieved a handgun when she heard noises in her backyard. It was previously reported that Dean and the other officer with him never identified themselves as police officers. NBC also reported that Jefferson purchased the gun legally and had a concealed carry permit.
Photo: Atataina Koquice Jefferson was playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew when she was gunned down by a cop.
The Amber Gyger case really is not over until the appeals are over. This case is very different in circumstances, but could help her case, or brings up the question of training for police in Texas.
I do not know if the appeals will support the jury’s conclusion of murder in that case, where the prosecution originally sought a charge of manslaughter. At some point in that shooting training took over and that is the case in this shooting. In both of these cases the race of the victim played little to no part in their being shot, they were just there, but it will take up a large part of what happened in the prior case and what happens in this new case. Doubt there will be charges brought on the officer in this case. That will of course weigh in on the appeals in the Byger case.
Appellate courts don’t second-guess juries, and it’s improper for them to do so. To overturn the jury verdict and obtain a new trial, Guyger’s lawyers have to show error in the judge’s procedural or evidentiary rulings or jury instructions, or prosecutorial or juror misconduct. Apparently the judge hugged the defendant after sentencing her to only 10 years for murder, and that could result in resentencing before a different judge, although an appellate court will review that only if the prosecution appeals the sentence. As for whether this officer will be charged, you guessed wrong, but in any event this case has no relevance to Guyger’s case and will not be considered in any appeal of her case.