The Fort Worth, Texas police officer who fatally shot 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson in her home on Saturday was jailed on a murder charge Monday.
Aaron Dean, 34, was booked Monday evening into the Tarrant County Jail. He had resigned from the Fort Worth Police Department earlier in the day.
Interim Police Chief Ed Kraus said he had intended to fire Dean, who was set to be interviewed Monday morning, but Dean quit first. His record will reflect a dishonourable discharge.
Kraus said Dean resigned before he answered any questions.
Dean, who had been on the force since April 2018, has not been cooperative, the chief said.
“He resigned before his opportunity to be cooperative,” Kraus said.
The chief said the department normally investigates officer-involved shootings with two separate but concurrent processes: an internal affairs investigation and a criminal investigation, with the criminal investigation taking precedence.
Meanwhile, Jefferson’s family has called for an independent investigation into the shooting.
At a news conference on Monday, Ashley Carr, Jefferson’s oldest sister, said her sister had recently moved home to care for her mother, who was in declining health and remained hospitalized Monday.
