Fort Worth Woman Was Playing Video Game With Her Nephew When Shot by Police

ruthiesea · Oct 15, 2019

Rubiks said:
Imagine if the average citizen had the privilege to shoot and kill another person because he or she had his/her hand in her pockets and the shooter felt some vague idea of a threat.

Unfortunately, many people think they do. That is a tragic result of the totally unnecessary and dangerous “stand your ground” law.

Kaon · Oct 15, 2019

ruthiesea said:
I love all of you opining about law enforcement with no knowledge of the subject. I spent 10 years doing internal affairs investigation and criminal investigations of LEOs in other agencies as part of my duties. They were complete and unbiased investigations many of which resulted in disciplinary actions and criminal convictions. Many also resulted in vindication of the officers.

One of the negative aspects of being a motor cop was doing funeral escorts for LEOs who died in the line of duty. There were far to many.

I will change my avatar when there are no LEOs killed in the US for a month.

1. You have no idea what "our" knowledge set is. Some of us are military, some of us are officers of the law, and some of us are municipal laypersons.

2. Are you trying to convince yourself of the things you said with that endorsement? Some of us know what Law Enforcement is. And, sure there are great officers, but you cant be called great if you don't do bad stuff, but you let it happen - denying the power you have to prevent it.

Why would you change your avatar at all? And, why wouldn't you stand on a soapbox for unarmed civilians killed by LEO? Do you see how you expose yourself?

SummerMadness · Oct 15, 2019

Kaon said:
Why would you change your avatar at all? And, why wouldn't you stand on a soapbox for unarmed civilians killed by LEO? Do you see how you expose yourself?

My sentiment exactly. Why would talk about officers that are killed in the line of duty when the officer here murdered an unarmed woman in her home? Talk about ignoring the victim.

Understanding that police officers job might be dangerous in some instances does not excuse the behavior here. I guess we can give some kudos to the police force acting swiftly to arrest this officer; however, that is only due to the increased scrutiny over the years. Nonetheless, I still feel so much sadness when I think of Aiyana Stanley-Jones' unjustifiably walking free.

SummerMadness · Oct 16, 2019

Woman killed by officer in her own home heard noises outside and drew gun, nephew told authorities

The nephew of the 28-year-old black woman fatally shot in her home by a white Fort Worth police officer over the weekend said his aunt drew a gun after hearing noises outside her house, according to an arrest warrant affidavit for the officer released Tuesday.

The details in the affidavit add weight to earlier accounts of the shooting from family members and city officials who said Atatiana Jefferson was trying to protect herself and the 8-year-old boy from what she thought was an intruder when she was killed early Saturday. The officer who shot Jefferson, Aaron Dean, resigned and was charged with murder on Monday.

Lee Merritt, a civil rights attorney representing the family, said Jefferson had a license to carry the gun. He cried foul on the department’s decision to release images of the weapon, accusing police of trying to "impute some bad act or blame on the victim."

It's a little clearer why the officer shot, less clear why they are prowling around outside in someone's backyard without identifying themselves.

zephcom · Oct 16, 2019

SummerMadness said:
Woman killed by officer in her own home heard noises outside and drew gun, nephew told authorities

It's a little clearer why the officer shot, less clear why they are prowling around outside in someone's backyard without identifying themselves.

As I understand Texas law, which admittedly comes from news reports, it is absolutely legal for citizens to both have guns in their homes and to use guns to defend their homes. To be killed by police while doing something which is absolutely legal still requires either justification or punishment.

Goonie · Oct 16, 2019

SummerMadness said:
Woman killed by officer in her own home heard noises outside and drew gun, nephew told authorities

It's a little clearer why the officer shot, less clear why they are prowling around outside in someone's backyard without identifying themselves.

The story from what I understand is that the officers failed to pull in in front of the house, and the shooter failed to use the magic word Police when he got her.

zephcom · Oct 16, 2019

Goonie said:
The story from what I understand is that the officers failed to pull in in front of the house, and the shooter failed to use the magic word Police when he got her.

Most likely it will hinge on how they were dispatched. Clearly the person who called the police requested just a welfare check. Welfare checks should just have the officer stop in front of the house, go to the door, knock and announce "Police". Since the door was open, it would have been easy to announce themselves.

OTOH, if the dispatch was sent out as a suspicious person or intruder at the residence, there may be wiggle room for justifying how they approached.

I would think the DA would have listened to the dispatch tape before issuing the arrest warrant.

Goonie · Oct 16, 2019

zephcom said:
Most likely it will hinge on how they were dispatched. Clearly the person who called the police requested just a welfare check. Welfare checks should just have the officer stop in front of the house, go to the door, knock and announce "Police". Since the door was open, it would have been easy to announce themselves.

OTOH, if the dispatch was sent out as a suspicious person or intruder at the residence, there may be wiggle room for justifying how they approached.

I would think the DA would have listened to the dispatch tape before issuing the arrest warrant.

Location, location, location I suspect might also play a part, is it a high crime neighborhood?

BNR32FAN · Oct 16, 2019

zephcom said:
Likely you don't hear about it elsewhere because America is flooded with gun and police are taught to be scare silly at the sight of a gun.

Even though guns are largely legal in all parts of American life, police are legally allowed to execute anyone anywhere if they even -think- they see a gun. And because of our racial biases, in that split second police have to make a decision, our minds will more often create the picture of a gun in the hand of a person of color more often than it will if there is something in the hand of a white person.

Time after time police have killed a person of color who happened to have their cell phone in their hand and the officer who shot will swear that he/she saw a gun. Their mind is pre-programed to see more danger in people of color than white people.

Well there’s also the factor of working in dangerous areas to consider, not that this makes shooting innocent people acceptable. It truly is a sad situation. My heart goes out to her loved ones.

Kaon · Oct 16, 2019

Goonie said:
Location, location, location I suspect might also play a part, is it a high crime neighborhood?

This shouldn't matter. If you are that scared to show up to neighbourhoods you *know* may be high risk - and you know it will cause you to be trigger happy - you need to ask your sergeant for another assignment/re-assignment.

As a civil authority, you have a responsibility to the public. You don't need to have the responsibility of being an officer of the Law if 1) you don't know the Law, 2) you don't properly execute the law, 3) you go for a lethal weapon first despite the vast array of options on your "Batman Utility Belt," and 4) you have aversions or prejudices against certain ethnicity.

There is no excuse for an officer of the law on a welfare call to shoot while asking questions. Giving these stewards of the law this incredible latitude they have received is to deny the trauma and reality of those people killed for no reason.

zephcom · Oct 16, 2019

BNR32FAN said:
Well there’s also the factor of working in dangerous areas to consider, not that this makes shooting innocent people acceptable. It truly is a sad situation. My heart goes out to her loved ones.

When I was in the service, my job was to load weapons, including bombs, on aircraft. I was told straight up that no matter who gave me an order to load, if I felt I was unable to follow the order safely and protect the people around me I was free to walk away and no repercussions would happen.

Police officers should have that same option. To be sure, I would have never loaded weapons again if I did it, but I wouldn't be court marshaled, docked pay or any other punitive measures.

Police officers need that assurance too. The government agency they work for should find them other responsibilities at a comparable wage.

Ana the Ist · Oct 16, 2019

SummerMadness said:
Woman killed by officer in her own home heard noises outside and drew gun, nephew told authorities
.

Eesh. What a mess. I figured they didn't put the gun in her hands.

SummerMadness · Oct 17, 2019

Can anyone hear that? That's the deafening silence of the NRA defending the second amendment for a person defending herself with a gun in her home.

It appears the most they can utter is that it's "troubling."

Darkhorse · Oct 17, 2019

SummerMadness said:
Can anyone hear that? That's the deafening silence of the NRA defending the second amendment for a person defending herself with a gun in her home.

It appears the most they can utter is that it's "troubling."

Why would the NRA have a problem with someone defending themselves in their home?
That's what they promote.

Aryeh Jay · Oct 17, 2019

Apparently the NRA doesn’t go out to riot and destroy public property when they don’t get their way.

SummerMadness · Oct 17, 2019

Darkhorse said:
Why would the NRA have a problem with someone defending themselves in their home?
That's what they promote.

They wouldn't, yet they are saying next to nothing about the rights of gun owners because it's not the right victim.

SummerMadness · Oct 17, 2019

Aryeh Jay said:
Apparently the NRA doesn’t go out to riot and destroy public property when they don’t get their way.

Most people and organizations do not do that either, but that point is irrelevant, but I see your point. :oldthumbsup:

Darkhorse · Oct 17, 2019

SummerMadness said:
They wouldn't, yet they are saying next to nothing about the rights of gun owners because it's not the right victim.

How is she "not the right victim"? Who is the right victim?

SarahsKnight · Oct 17, 2019

SummerMadness said:
Fort Worth Woman Was Playing Video Game With Her Nephew When Shot by Police

Absolutely unacceptable. I truly do feel sorry for the good policemen who don't have itchy trigger fingers having their rep marred like this by the idiots who can't even identify themselves as the cops to the victim before shooting. The officer who shot her deserves to lose his job and spend at least a couple of years in jail. This is insane how he handled the situation, and a perfectly innocent woman is now dead because of it.

Ana the Ist · Oct 17, 2019

And now we learn it wasn't a welfare check....it was a "open structure call".

Fort Worth shooting: Officers weren't asked to do a wellness check. Here's how it changed things - CNN

Fort Worth Woman Was Playing Video Game With Her Nephew When Shot by Police

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