The Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from a former Texas police officer convicted in the shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson. Aaron Dean, who was found guilty of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of the 28-year-old Black woman, was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison. Originally charged with murder, Dean contested on appeal that prosecutors should not have been permitted to introduce the lesser charge of manslaughter at the conclusion of the trial.
The tragic incident occurred on October 12, 2019, when Dean, who is white, responded to a call reporting an open front door at Jefferson's residence. Jefferson and her nephew had left the door ajar to ventilate smoke after a cooking mishap while engaging in a late-night video game session.
