Cop guns down black woman through the bedroom window
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — A black woman was shot dead by a police officer in Texas through the window of her own bedroom around 02:30 a.m. on October 12.
Atatiana Jefferson was inside her bedroom playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew when she heard a noise outside the window and went to see what was going on.
Her lawyer S. Lee Meritt told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that she was promptly shot dead through the window by a Texan police officer.
The newspaper reports that Jefferson's neighbor, James Smith, made a call to the non-emergency police hotline to check on her as the door of her house was left open.
Surveillance footage from the officer's camera shows two police officers surveying the perimeters of her house using flashlights. In the footage, one of the officer spots a figure through the bedroom window and is heard saying, "Put your hands up! Show me your hands!" and proceeds to immediately fire a gunshot through the window.
In the video, the man does not explicitly identify himself as a police officer.
According to a press release by the Fort Worth Police, the officer drew his gun because he had perceived a threat by the person inside the residence.
After the shooting, the officers entered the woman's residence and began providing emergency medical care. She was pronounced dead on scene.
A press release by the police mentioned that there was a firearm in Jefferson's residence, though it isn't clear if she was holding the weapon during the incident.
The 28-year-old was a pre-med graduate from Xavier University working in pharmaceutical equipment sales. He said that she was taking care of the house and her nephew as her mom was sick, according to a Go Fund Me page created by Jefferson's lawyer.
The post mentioned that a candlelight vigil will be held for the woman at 7:00 p.m. local time tonight.
The Fort Worth Police said that the officer in question has been placed on administrative leave until the police incident has been thoroughly investigated.
Atatiana Jefferson was inside her bedroom playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew when she heard a noise outside the window and went to see what was going on.
Her lawyer S. Lee Meritt told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that she was promptly shot dead through the window by a Texan police officer.
The newspaper reports that Jefferson's neighbor, James Smith, made a call to the non-emergency police hotline to check on her as the door of her house was left open.
Surveillance footage from the officer's camera shows two police officers surveying the perimeters of her house using flashlights. In the footage, one of the officer spots a figure through the bedroom window and is heard saying, "Put your hands up! Show me your hands!" and proceeds to immediately fire a gunshot through the window.
In the video, the man does not explicitly identify himself as a police officer.
According to a press release by the Fort Worth Police, the officer drew his gun because he had perceived a threat by the person inside the residence.
After the shooting, the officers entered the woman's residence and began providing emergency medical care. She was pronounced dead on scene.
A press release by the police mentioned that there was a firearm in Jefferson's residence, though it isn't clear if she was holding the weapon during the incident.
The 28-year-old was a pre-med graduate from Xavier University working in pharmaceutical equipment sales. He said that she was taking care of the house and her nephew as her mom was sick, according to a Go Fund Me page created by Jefferson's lawyer.
The post mentioned that a candlelight vigil will be held for the woman at 7:00 p.m. local time tonight.
The Fort Worth Police said that the officer in question has been placed on administrative leave until the police incident has been thoroughly investigated.