FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF)- Atatiana Jefferson’s sister, Ashley Carr, filed a 10 million dollar wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Fort Worth, former Police Chief Ed Kraus, Mayor Betsy Price and Aaron Dean, the former police officer who is charged in the shooting death of Jefferson inside her home in October 2019.
The suit demands a jury trial and alleges that the city failed to properly train and discipline its officers.
Bruce Carter with the “Atatiana Jefferson Foundation” said it’s been hard on the family especially since Atatiana’s mother and father died shortly after her murder, citing health concerns that were heightened by the heartache of Atatiana’s death.
“The sadness and disruption of life for Mr. Jefferson, which we believe died of a broken heart, has definitely been something that has affected the entire family along with the death of his wife,” said Carter, who also legally represents the father’s side of the family.
Carter clarified that the wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the her Mother, Yolanda Carr’s side of the family.
He said speaking on behalf of the Jefferson side, they are speaking with the city to come up with an alternate to filing a lawsuit.
Dean resigned after he was charged with murder in the Oct. 12, 2019.
Jefferson had been babysitting her 8-year-old nephew at her mother’s home when a neighbor called a non-emergency police line to report that a door was ajar. Police have said that Dean opened fire from outside through a window after “perceiving a threat.”
Dean will face trial in August.
Carter said he hopes Dean would take responsibility and take a plea to take away additional heartache and stress on the family. “I think that would definitely be a big sign of remorse for them as far as the Jefferson family is concerned,” he said.