Texas cop who killed Atatiana Jefferson convicted of manslaughter

A Texas police officer was convicted of manslaughter Thursday for fatally shooting Atatiana Jefferson in 2019.

Aaron Dean, 38, had been charged with murder, but the judge allowed the jury to consider the lesser manslaughter charge, instead. Dean faces up to 20 years in prison, with the penalty phase of his trial set to begin Friday.

Jefferson, who was 28, was playing video games with her nephew on the night of Oct. 12, 2019, when police were called to her home. A neighbor had dialed a nonemergency line to report her front door was open.

When Dean and his partner arrived, they did not announce themselves and went to the back of the house. At trial, Dean said he did this because he assumed there was a burglary in progress, based on the open door, lit rooms and items on the floor.

Jefferson sensed there was someone outside and grabbed her gun, prosecutors said. Dean spotted Jefferson through a rear window and fired a single fatal shot.

Prosecutors argued that Dean “didn’t know what he saw, he just shot.” Dean claimed that when he looked through the window, he was staring down the barrel of Jefferson’s gun.

After the verdict was announced, Dean, who had been free on bail, was booked into Tarrant County jail.

With News Wire Services