Guilty of manslaughter and faces up to 20 years.
Dean showed no obvious reaction as the verdict was read.
Atatiana Jefferson's family did not show any emotion either, though her siblings did leave the courtroom immediately.
Outside the courtroom, emotions ran high.
Several in the crowd said they felt a manslaughter conviction was not good enough. They felt Dean should have been found guilty of murder.
"He killed that girl. Manslaughter, that’s what you give this dude? And we expect justice from these people. We expect justice?," said Olinka Greene. (I can't help but wonder how they would feel if the officer had been black instead of white.)
Some others were relieved, saying they are happy it was not a complete acquittal.
"We don’t see justice. I don’t feel like justice was served in this case, but I guess a guilty verdict is better than not guilty," said law student Richard Boule.
"First time a Fort Worth police officer ever has been charged and convicted of killing a citizen while on duty. I think it's the appropriate conviction, charge of manslaughter. I didn’t think it met the bar of murder, that is the intent, meaning he intended to kill her. He did kill her, and the jury found, in my opinion, he was reckless and caused the death of someone else. They didn't buy the argument that he was in fear of his life," said community activist Cory Session.
Dean showed no obvious reaction as the verdict was read.
Atatiana Jefferson's family did not show any emotion either, though her siblings did leave the courtroom immediately.
Outside the courtroom, emotions ran high.
Several in the crowd said they felt a manslaughter conviction was not good enough. They felt Dean should have been found guilty of murder.
"He killed that girl. Manslaughter, that’s what you give this dude? And we expect justice from these people. We expect justice?," said Olinka Greene. (I can't help but wonder how they would feel if the officer had been black instead of white.)
Some others were relieved, saying they are happy it was not a complete acquittal.
"We don’t see justice. I don’t feel like justice was served in this case, but I guess a guilty verdict is better than not guilty," said law student Richard Boule.
"First time a Fort Worth police officer ever has been charged and convicted of killing a citizen while on duty. I think it's the appropriate conviction, charge of manslaughter. I didn’t think it met the bar of murder, that is the intent, meaning he intended to kill her. He did kill her, and the jury found, in my opinion, he was reckless and caused the death of someone else. They didn't buy the argument that he was in fear of his life," said community activist Cory Session.
Aaron Dean found guilty of manslaughter in 2019 killing of Atatiana Jefferson
The jury found former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter in the 2019 killing of Atatiana Jefferson.
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