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The family of a Black woman shot through a window and killed last year by a police officer in Fort Worth, Texas, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the officer and the city.
Two of Atatiana Jefferson’s family members filed the wrongful death lawsuit on Nov. 13 in federal court in Texas, naming officer Aaron Dean and the city of Fort Worth as defendants.
Jefferson’s deceased biological father, Jerome Eschor, is also listed among the plaintiffs.
Jefferson, 28, had moved home to assist her mother with health problems and to be nearer to other family members, the lawsuit says.
“Her mom had recently gotten very sick, so she was home taking care of the house and loving her life,” an attorney for the family said on a GoFundMe page, according to USA Today.
At the time she was shot, on Oct. 12, 2019, Jefferson was playing video games while babysitting her eight-year-old nephew Zion at home, the complaint says.
Amber Carr, Jefferson’s sister and Zion’s mother, told USA Today that Jefferson had been helping care for the boy while Carr recovered from heart surgery.
“The relationship she had with my son was incredible,” Carr said. “She helped Zion every day get ready for school.”
On the day of the shooting, Jefferson’s neighbor had apparently called police to check on Jefferson’s home after noticing a door to the home had been open for several hours, the lawsuit claims.
Dean was one of the officers who responded to the home to conduct the welfare check, Jefferson’s family says.
But rather than knocking on the front door or announcing he was there, the lawsuit alleges, Dean walked through a gate into the backyard, meaning Jefferson was not aware of the officers’ presence.
“Neither officer announced themselves,” the lawsuit states, which “breached the safety and seclusion of Atatiana’s property.”
Seconds after seeing Jefferson inside her home, Dean “immediately … shot her dead through a window of the home.”
The lawsuit alleges Dean, “in his prowl around the backyard of her home,” caused Jefferson “fear and uncertainty.”
In addition, Dean allegedly failed to provide Jefferson with medical aid.
The plaintiffs claim that the city of Fort Worth is responsible for Dean’s “unlawful and unauthorized conduct.”
They say the city and Fort Worth Police Department violated Jefferson’s rights by not maintaining “adequate training and supervision” and by condoning Dean’s actions by not taking any disciplinary action, even though Dean had previously been “reprimanded for unprofessional conduct.”
Dean’s police department personnel records, obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, include a supervisor’s note that Dean “has poor communication skills” with dealing with the public and fellow officers. The supervisor also said Dean had “tunnel vision” and missed radioed calls for help.
According to a USA Today report, Dean, 36, who had been on the force for 18 months, resigned after being charged with Jefferson’s murder. His trial has been set for August.
A firearm was found in Jefferson’s home following the Oct. 12 incident, but police and city leaders have said it had no relation to her shooting, according to USA Today.
A family attorney told USA Today that Jefferson was a 2014 graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana, where she got a biology degree.
Jefferson’s sister Ashley Carr called Jefferson a hard worker who loved her family, USA Today reported.
“Honor, integrity, commitment and service — these are the attributes of Atatiana Jefferson,” Ashley Carr said.
Jefferson was shot to death less than two weeks after the murder conviction of former Dallas officer Amber Guyger in the death of Botham Jean, according to USA Today.
Jean, a Black man, was shot and killed in 2018 while in his home.
After Guyger’s sentencing, Jean’s brother and the judge each hugged Guyger.
But Jefferson’s father, Marquis Jefferson, told USA Today he’s not inclined to do the same.
“Unlike Botham Jean, I don’t want no hug,” Marquis Jefferson said. “That’s my one and only daughter. I’ll never forget that.”
The plaintiffs in the wrongful death lawsuit are seeking compensatory, special and punitive damages; court costs and attorneys’ fees; interest; and any other relief deemed appropriate by the Court.
They also demand a jury trial.
What do you think the outcome of the wrongful death lawsuit will be? Give us your thoughts in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Tanika J. Solomon of the T.J. Solomon Law Group PLLC and Bassey Akpaffiong of the Law Office of Bassey O. Akpaffiong.
The Atatiana Jefferson Wrongful Death Lawsuit is Jerome Ekpo Eschor, et al. v. Aaron Dean, et al., Case No. 4:20-cv-01242-Y, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division.
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