So in just a short time frame,
200 potential jurors must be
whittled down to a dozen.
As we near the opening arguments
in the trial of Aaron Dean.
The jury selection moved forward
yesterday after the death of one
of Dean's attorneys called that
timeline into question. Dean is charged
with shooting and killing a Tatiana
Jefferson during a welfare check in 2019.
Since then, that trial has been delayed
several times for various reasons.
Chris Artigue live this morning.
Chris the jury selection is tough,
seeing that this is such a high profile case.
Yes, Kara, the process of finding
an impartial jury for this case
that has received so much media
attention could take all week.
Despite the death of Aaron
Dean's lead attorney, Jim Lane,
prosecution and defense got started
Monday with trying to whittle a
jury pool of 200 people down to
12 jurors and two alternates.
Each of those jurors filled
out a 25 page questionnaire.
Their answers will help the two
sides determine whether or not
they can sit on a fair jury in a
trial for a former police officer.
Of the 200 summoned,
about half told the judge that they
have seen or read about this case.
Aaron Dean is the former Fort Worth
police officer charged with the murder
in the death of a Tatiana Jefferson protest.
Media coverage and three years worth
of delays are why his defense team says
he cannot get a fair trial in Tarrant County,
and they've again requested
a change of venue.
But so far the judge has not
granted that motion or any of
the others to move the trial.
The judge hopes to have
a jury seated by Monday.
To begin testimony.
However,
it also said that if they're
not able to find 12 from this
pool of 200 summons that they
could summon another 200 to find
those 12 impartial jurors.
William Joy has more on how we
got to this point in this case.
It's been 1143 days since
the home on E Allen Ave was wrapped
in crime scene tape. Open the gate,
and since James Smith asked police
to check on his neighbor,
they're usually home.
But they never had both
of the front doors open.
It's been 1143 days
since officer Aaron Dean
killed a Tatiana Jefferson.
Monday, the trial for the former Fort
Worth police officer is set to begin.
Jefferson's neighbor, James Smith,
called a non-emergency line asking police
to make sure his neighbor was OK officer
Aaron Dean arrived at the home at 229.
Inside, Jefferson was playing video games
with her eight-year old nephew Zion.
Court documents say Jefferson heard
someone creeping in her backyard,
grabbed her gun and opened the blinds
up. Show me answer.
The single shot Dean fired killed Jefferson
Fire Service supervisor, people say,
well, James, it's not your fault.
You're not your fault.
But I made a call.
Nobody looked at that video and
said there's any doubt that this
officer acted inappropriately.
2 days after the killing,
at approximately 6:00 PM, Aaron Dean
was arrested for the
murder of Miss Jefferson.
No comment. Jefferson
was the 6th person Fort Worth police
killed in a five month span of 2019.
But I'm here to let you know
your city is hurting. Frustrated
and frightened community members
filled council meetings.
And filled streets.
Now we're a day away from the
trial that's been more than
two years in the making.
I certainly have not been able to make
sense of why she had to lose her life
1143 days after James Smith
was worried about his neighbor
1143 days. There's no erasing there since
a Tatiana Jefferson's family saw her.
For the last time in Fort Worth.
I'm William joy.
Our WA team is following this
trial from start to finish.
For any updates in the case,
you can check out our website,
wa.com, WA Plus, and RWF,
a YouTube channel as well.