Police release censored footage of Fort Worth shooting that left woman dead in her own home
10/14/2019 7:25 am PDT
via WPIX
FORT WORTH (WPIX) -- Two seconds after he shouted commands outside a house, a Fort Worth police officer opened fire into what looks like a dark room.
Moments later, Atatiana Koquice Jefferson died in the bedroom of her own home with her 8-year-old nephew nearby.
Now Texans are outraged over the death of another black person killed at home by a white police officer.
"There was no reason for her to be murdered. None," said Lee Merritt, an attorney for Jefferson's family and the family of Botham Jean, an unarmed black man killed at home by a Dallas police officer. "We must have justice."
Police responded to Jefferson's house around 2:25 a.m. Saturday after a concerned neighbor noticed her doors were open in the middle of the night.
The neighbor, James Smith, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he called a non-emergency police number for a safety check. He said he was worried because he knew Jefferson was at home with her nephew.
Officers searched the perimeter of Jefferson's house and saw "a person standing inside the residence near a window," Fort Worth police said.
"Perceiving a threat, the officer drew his duty weapon and fired one shot striking the person inside," police said. Officers then went inside and gave emergency medical care.
MORE: Police release censored footage of Fort Worth shooting that left woman dead in her own home - WPIX