Atatiana Jefferson
Jurors today found former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean guilty of manslaughter, not murder, in the killing of Lake Highlands High School graduate Atatiana Jefferson. The Tarrant County jury deliberated 14 hours over two days.
Defense lawyers said Dean acted in self-defense when he shot Jefferson through a window in the early morning hours of Oct. 12, 2019. Dean claimed he saw Jefferson point a gun at him while he was responding to a call at her mother’s home. Prosecutors noted that Dean and another arriving officer did not announce their presence or identify themselves to persons inside the home.
Dean, 38, faces up to 20 years in prison. The sentencing phase begins Friday morning.
