Atatiana Jefferson: Family To Receive $11.25…
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Nearly seven years after Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson inside her own home, town is getting ready to pay her household $11.25 million. And while the money can not deliver Atatiana back, the settlement represents another uncomfortable reminder that a Black lady had to lose her life before the system was pressured to reckon with what occurred. According to CBS News Texas, the proposed settlement would resolve the remaining civil claims linked to Jefferson’s death, with the most important parts going to her two younger nephews. Their money can be held in trust until they flip 18.
As BOSSIP beforehand reported, Jefferson was killed in the early morning hours of October 12, 2019, after Dean entered the yard of her home while responding to what police described as an open construction call. Dean testified that he believed he was confronting a burglar when he noticed a determine through a window. He claimed he fired after seeing what he believed was a gun pointed in his direction.
Except there was no burglar ready to ambush him. There was Atatiana, who had reportedly heard somebody outdoors and grabbed her firearm. Her nephew was inside the home when Dean fired the deadly shot. Prosecutors also questioned Dean’s actions after the capturing, including his failure to carry out CPR.
Dean was finally convicted of manslaughter and is serving practically 12 years in prison. Now, the proposed civil settlement provides a financial consequence to the prison conviction. The settlement still wants to clear some legal hurdles. Fort Worth City Council is scheduled to think about the settlement on August 25, adopted by approval from a probate court before the deal turns into closing.
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Atatiana’s sister, Ashley Carr, made it clear that no one in the household is complicated a examine with justice. She acknowledged how uncommon it’s for households affected by police violence to obtain both prison and civil accountability, while emphasizing that neither a conviction nor a settlement can restore what was taken.
“Nothing can bring Atatiana home,” she said. “No verdict, sentence, or settlement can change our beloved Atatiana, a daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, and buddy whose life was taken far too soon. We have carried that loss every day since October 12, 2019.
“For us, accountability has never been about a single verdict, sentence, or settlement. It has always been about ensuring that Atatiana’s life mattered, that what happened to her was acknowledged, and that her life was remembered.”
The household plans to continue honoring Jefferson through The Atatiana Project, turning the grief surrounding her death into group packages and advocacy.
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