Officer Aaron Dean responded to a call for service for an open door at a residence on October 12, 2019 at about 2:25 AM. After arriving at the home with one additional officer as back-up, Officer Dean conducted a check of the perimeter of the residence. During the perimeter check, Dean suddenly saw someone inside the home holding a handgun that was pointed directly at Dean. Dean shouted for the person to drop the gun, then discharged his own firearm. The person holding the gun, Atatiana Jefferson, was struck and later died.

Tragically, it was later determined that Ms. Jefferson was an innocent homeowner who likely believed that Officer Dean was a burglar. Though Aaron was in uniform, it is likely that Ms. Jefferson could not see well enough through the blinds to recognize it as a police uniform.

The decision to use deadly force is extraordinarily difficult one for officers facing mortal danger, such as having a gun pointed directly at them by an unknown and unidentifiable person. Even when the outcome is painful and difficult, our law enforcement officers are entitled to fair treatment under the law, not a politically driven prosecution which is clearly inconsistent with the law.

We are confident that Aaron will ultimately be cleared of any criminal responsibility for his actions.