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U.S. NEWS Monday 14 october 2019

Family seeks answers after

police kill Texas woman at home

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — we got the call, it's been immediately respond to
A white police officer who more and more inconceiv- a message seeking com-
killed a black woman in- able and more confus- ment Sunday.
side her Texas home while ing. And there has nothing Democratic presidential
responding to a neighbor's been done in order to take candidate Bernie Sanders
call about an open front away that confusion," Body on Sunday called on the
door "didn't have time to said. Police said the officer, Justice Department to in-
perceive a threat" before who's been on the force vestigate.
he opened fire, an attor- since April 2018, is on ad- "The killings of unarmed
ney for the woman's family ministrative leave pending Black Americans have got
said. the outcome of an inves- to end," Sanders tweeted. In this Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, image made from a body camera
video released by the Fort Worth Police Department an officer
"You didn't hear the officer tigation. His name was not "Atatiana Jefferson should shines a flashlight into a window in Fort Worth, Texas.
shout, 'Gun, gun, gun,'" at- released. be alive."q Associated Press
torney Lee Merritt said after James Smith, who called
viewing video taken from a police non-emergency
a Fort Worth officer's bo- number about the open
dycam during Saturday's door, told reporters he was
shooting of Atatiana Jef- just trying to be a good
ferson, 28. "He didn't have neighbor.
time to perceive a threat. "I'm shaken. I'm mad. I'm
That's murder." upset. And I feel it's partly
Her family told KXAS tele- my fault," Smith said. "If I
vision that Jefferson was had never dialed the po-
watching her 8-year-old lice department, she'd still
nephew when she was be alive."
killed early Saturday. Smith said Jefferson and
The Fort Worth Police De- her nephew typically lived
partment said in a state- with an older woman,
ment that officers saw who's been in the hospital.
someone near a window "It makes you not want
inside the home and that to call the police depart-
one of them drew his duty ment," he said.
weapon and fired after Merritt said Jefferson's fam-
"perceiving a threat." The ily expects "a thorough and
video released by police expedient investigation."
shows two officers search- The Fort Worth Police De-
ing the home from the out- partment said it released
side with flashlights before bodycam footage soon
one shouts, "Put your hands after the shooting to pro-
up, show me your hands." vide transparency, but that
One shot is then fired any "camera footage in-
through a window. The of- side the residence" could
ficer does not identify him- not be distributed due to
self as police in the video. state law. However, the
"It's another one of those bodycam video released
situations where the peo- to media included blurred
ple that are supposed to still frames showing a gun
protect us are actually not inside a bedroom at the
here to protect us," said Jef- home. It's unclear if the
ferson's sister, Amber Carr. firearm was found near
"You know, you want to the woman, and police
see justice, but justice don't have not said that the of-
bring my sister back," she ficer who shot her thought
said. she had a gun. The police
An aunt, Venitta Body, said statement released Satur-
the family does not under- day said only that officers
stand why Jefferson was who entered the residence
killed. after the shooting found
"It's like from the moment a firearm. Police did not