Aaron Dean: Texas cop who shot dead Atatiana Jefferson at her home says she pointed gun 'directly' at him

Aaron Dean: Texas cop who shot dead Atatiana Jefferson at her home says she pointed gun 'directly' at him
Aaron Dean sobbed as he repeatedly insisted that he thought Atatiana Jefferson was being robbed (@cbs11ken/Twitter)

FORT WORTH, TEXAS: A former police officer who fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson three years ago made his first statement Monday, December 12, in connection with her unfortunate death. Fighting back tears, Aaron Dean claimed he believed the 28-year-old black woman was being robbed and that he saw a gun pointed directly at him during the welfare check that went awry at the Texas home, contradicting testimony from Jefferson's young nephew.

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The former Fort Worth police chief was charged with the woman's murder when he went to Jefferson's home on October 12, 2019, for a welfare check after a neighbor called 911 and reported that her front door was ajar. When asked to evaluate his police work that night, Dean conceded on the stand, "There are probably things I could have done better." Jurors must decide whether Dean was justified in using deadly force when he shot Jefferson out of fear for his own life.