Lawyers have settled on a jury to hearing murder trial former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean, but the jury make-up is already creating a stir.
The jury has no African American members, hardly the composition the family of the victim had hoped for.
Dean, who is White, is accused of murder in the Oct. 12, 2019 shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson, who is Black.
“It’s unimaginable, unacceptable that no Blacks were even put on this jury,” said Cory Session, a community activist. “There should have been a larger pool of potential jurors from the onset.”
Getting to the jury selection process has been riddled with fits and starts. Repeated delays and requests for a change of venue have pushed the trial’s start. Then on Sunday, the day before jury selection was to begin, lead defense attorney Jim Lane died. Judge George Gallagher continued with the jury selection with a goal of opening statements Monday. That has been achieved, but it is far from the jury that Session had hoped for.
“If someone doesn’t live the experience near to, or that of the deceased, then how can you expect to find someone who can relate to ‘Yes the police grab their guns quite often.’” Session said.
On that fateful night neighbor of Jefferson had called police about an open door at her home and Dean was sent to investigate. Dean and his partner never announced themselves as police officers. Instead they began searching around the perimeter of Jefferson’s home. Meantime, Jefferson was inside playing video games with her nephew. Investigators believe Jefferson heard noise outside. Unaware that police were at her home, she got a gun.
Body camera video has shown that as Jefferson saw a figure outside, she raised her gun. Dean fired a shot.
Dean was fired from the force and charged with murder for the shooting.
Dean's lawyers repeatedly tried to get the trial moved to somewhere else in Texas. They say the extensive publicity about the case means he can't get a fair trial in Tarrant County.
The opening day of the trial will be brief. Gallagher will allow both sides to give opening statements and put in a half day before recessing for the afternoon so parties can attend Lane’s funeral.
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