What to Know
- Former Fort Worth police officer enters a plea of not guilty in the Atatiana Jefferson murder trial.
- Jefferson's nephew, Zion Carr, testified Monday morning about the moments leading up to the shooting.
- The trial ended early on Day 1 so that those involved in the case could attend the funeral of lead defense attorney Jim Lane. The trial is to resume Tuesday morning.
After three years, the murder trial of former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean began Monday.
Dean shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson through a window of her mother’s Fort Worth home on Oct. 12, 2019. He was one of the officers who responded to a non-emergency call by a neighbor who was concerned about an open door at the home.
The high-profile story of Jefferson's death gained national attention and caused protests against police brutality across North Texas.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
Prior to opening statements, Judge George Gallagher, who is proceeding over the trial, agreed to hear final pre-trial motions in the case before it officially kicked off. The defense team argued that slanted local media coverage would make it impossible for Dean to get a fair trial.
The motion to move the murder trial out of Tarrant County and to another venue was denied.
The first day of the trial was short, ending at 11:30 a.m. so that people involved in the case could attend the funeral of lead defense attorney Jim Lane who died last week. The trial is expected to resume Tuesday morning.
AARON DEAN MURDER TRIAL DAY 1: PLEA ENTERED, OPENING STATEMENTS
After Aaron Dean entered a not guilty plea in front of the jury Monday, the prosecution team gave their opening statement.
"This is not a case about a drug deal gone bad, or a robbery. This is a case about a Fort Worth police officer, a stranger to Atatiana, who shot through the back of her bedroom window in the middle of the night when she was in her home and should have been safe," said Tarrant County Prosecutor Ashlea Deener.
"You are going to hear that this was an absolutely intention act, an unjustifiable act that never should've happened."
Denener told jurors to pay attention to what then-officer Aaron Dean did and didn’t do after shooting Atatiana Jefferson.
Dean's defense attorney Mike Brissette, who initially waived his options to present an opening statement, spoke to the jury saying, “It’s an officer’s first nightmare around the world to draw their weapon… and use it.” “This case is about fact and not emotion.”
ATATIANA JEFFERSON'S NEPHEW TAKES THE STAND
On the night of the shooting, Jefferson was playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew, Zion Carr, who was the only witness inside the house.
Carr was questioned by both the prosecution and defense about what took place on the night of the shooting.
He said he and his aunt burned some hamburgers earlier in the evening and that the door was opened to ventilate the house.
Carr was asked to recall the moments leading up to the fatal shooting and he said he and his aunt forgot the front door was still open and were playing video games when she got up to investigate a noise she heard outside.
The boy told both prosecutors and defense attorneys that after hearing the noise his aunt went to get a gun out of her purse and that she held it at her side. He said he didn't see or hear anything and told defense attorneys that as she went to the window he didn't look up from his Nintendo Switch because she said the noise may have just been a raccoon.
Carr testified that Jefferson was looking toward the one window in the room where she said she heard something and that she was holding the gun at her side when she fell to the ground and started crying and shaking.
In the moments after the shooting, two police officers entered the home and took Carr, who was wearing only underwear, to a police car. He said he was cold and confused and wasn't sure what happened but knew it was serious because his aunt appeared to be hurt.
"She started crying and after that two police officers came and got me," Carr said. "I was thinking 'Is it a dream?'"Carr said an officer gave him a shirt and that he fell asleep in the police car. He said he woke up at another location where he was interviewed about the shooting.
He said at that point he didn't know whether his aunt had survived the shooting. Carr said he didn't like talking about that night and hadn't discussed it with anyone other than district attorneys.
“I wasn’t upset, I was confused because I didn’t know if… it was a dream and I wasn’t waking up still.”
JURY SELECTION FOR AARON DEAN MURDER TRIAL
The jury consists of eight men and six women. None of the jurors are Black. The majority appear to be white, while a few are people of color.
A source familiar with the jury selection process said one of the potential jurors, a Black woman, who was asked to come back Friday was excused due to a family health issue.
Judge George Gallagher gave both sides the opportunity to challenge the jury members that were picked. Neither side had any objections.
Monday is also the funeral for Jim Lane, Dean’s lead attorney. Lane died the day before jury selection started. The trial ended Monday at about 11:30 a.m. to allow people to attend the funeral.
DOCUSERIES: THE DEATH OF ATATIANA JEFFERSON
Sign up for our Breaking Newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
