Activists and members of Atatiana Jefferson鈥檚 family protested outside the doors of Fort Worth鈥檚 criminal courts building Tuesday morning, calling for swift action to bring Jefferson鈥檚 killer to trial.
In October 2019, a white Fort Worth police officer shot Jefferson, a Black woman, through the window of her home. Body camera footage shows that he never identified himself as a police officer.
Jefferson died, and the officer, Aaron Dean, has been indicted for murder.
Judge David Hagerman said last October that Dean鈥檚 trial may be held in August 2021, but some of Jefferson鈥檚 family members want more than a tentative date. They joined activists from , a racial justice group, for the protest.
About 20 people stood outside the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center on Tuesday morning, holding signs and chanting 鈥淪ay her name: Atatiana!鈥� as people entered and exited the building.
Amber Carr, Jefferson鈥檚 sister, was there. She told reporters that an August trial, nearly two years after Jefferson鈥檚 killing, is too late.
鈥淲e need a date, and a speedy date, not August. We need one right around the corner,鈥� she said.
The COVID-19 pandemic delayed hearings in Dean鈥檚 case, the . Carr said that shouldn't be used as a reason anymore.
"They just had the Grammys, so don't tell me we can't have court,鈥� she said.
Jefferson鈥檚 killing has reverberated throughout her family. Carr鈥檚 son, Zion, was there when Jefferson was shot and killed. The 9-year-old had been playing video games with his aunt that night, and he has struggled in the aftermath, Carr said.
Jefferson鈥檚 cousin, Cerese Fortson, said she wants closure. She gathered before sunrise with other protesters at the house where Jefferson was killed before heading downtown.
鈥淟et us get to the point where we can heal," she said. "We can鈥檛 even start healing until we have him accountable for what he did. Period."
In an emailed statement, the Tarrant County District Attorney鈥檚 office said it is prepared to go to trial.
鈥淲e, too, want justice for Atatiana Jefferson and all the victims of crime in Tarrant County who have had justice delayed because of the pandemic,鈥� the statement reads.
It added that the judge in the case, not the district attorney, is in charge of setting trial dates.
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