ROSHARON, Texas — Eleven years. Ten months. Twelve days. That’s how long former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean was sentenced in the 2019 shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson. And now, he’ll begin serving that sentence inside a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility.
Officials confirmed with WFAA Wednesday, Dec. 21, that Dean was transferred to the James "Jay" H. Byrd Unit in Huntsville, Texas. He underwent diagnostics before being transferred to his permanent housing facility.
On Friday, Dec. 23, Dean was transferred to the W.F. Ramsey Unit in Rosharon, Texas.
According to TDCJ records, Dean is eligible for parole Nov. 18, 2028. At this time, he is temporarily ineligible for visitation.
Over the course of three years, Dean has been out of custody on bond awaiting his trial. On Thursday, Dec. 15, a Tarrant County jury found him guilty of manslaughter and handed down his sentence after another two days of deliberations.
Jefferson’s family held a press conference following Dean’s sentencing to thank the Fort Worth community and assured them their fight for justice is not over.
Jefferson’s eldest sister, Ashley Carr said they will pursue federal charges against Dean.
“Eleven years, that’s the same age as Zion. Ten months, 12 days – that’s the day that it happened. It’s a message in this. It might not be the message that we wanted and the whole dream, but it’s some of it,” Carr said.
Carr went on to say that Dean’s conviction and sentence in Jefferson’s death hopefully sends the message that this is the standard, that families fighting for justice deserve more.
The Jefferson family attorney Lee Merritt spoke with WFAA Wednesday, saying the family will be pushing forward for additional accountability with a civil suit.
"This was a case where there was almost universal agreement that this officer should pay the consequences for his actions," Merritt said.
Merritt said the change the family is looking for is about Fort Worth police policy.
"What Aaron Dean relied on in his defense and what so many officers rely on in their defense is that they were simply following their training," Merritt said. "And as much as we don't want to scapegoat they're trained, there's something to be said that these officers are being told when you go into Black communities, when you go into Black homes, you can treat them more militantly than you would at the average community."
Next steps for Dean?
His defense attorneys say the former officer was acting in self-defense because he saw Jefferson with a gun pointed at him.
“There’s nothing to gain by sending this man to the penitentiary,” said defense attorney Bob Gill in his closing arguments during the sentencing phase.
According to court records, a notice of appeal has already been filed in Dean’s case.