Aaron Dean, a former Fort Worth police officer, is now set to go on trial for murder in December, more than three years after the on-duty killing of Atatiana Jefferson in October 2019.
Dean was scheduled to go on trial in January. Then May. Then June. The multiple delays came for multiple reasons, ranging from scheduling conflicts to, most recently, a successful battle to kick the original judge off the case.
Jury selection is now set to begin on Nov. 28, with the trial to begin on Dec. 5, according to court documents filed Thursday morning.
Dean has been charged with murder for shooting and killing Jefferson through the window of her Southside home, never identifying himself as an officer, body camera footage shows. Jefferson's neighbor had called a non-emergency line to request a welfare check, because the door of Jefferson's home was open.
Jefferson has become a prominent local example on the long list of Black Americans killed by police in recent years. Her name often came up during the 2020 George Floyd protests in Fort Worth, and her family and supporters have worked to keep her memory alive with protests and parades.