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Aaron Dean Trial Day 4: Live updates

FORT WORTH, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — The murder trial for former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean is now in its fourth day.

Defense attorneys began presenting their case at 9 a.m. Monday in Tarrant County's 396th District Court.

Dean is accused of intentionally shooting and killing 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson inside her home back in October 2019.

The state rested its case against Dean on Dec. 7 after two and a half days of testimony. 

The trial is streaming live everyday on CBS News Dallas-Fort Worth.

A full timeline of the events leading up to the trial can also be found here.

 

Court breaks

4:40 p.m. – Court breaks for the day.

By Julia Falcon
 

Court resumes

4:14 p.m. – Court resumes with Fredericks on the stand.

By Julia Falcon
 

Court breaks

4:00 p.m. – Court breaks.

By Julia Falcon
 

Body camera audio analyzed

3:49 p.m. – Fredericks analyzes the audio from Dean's body camera. 

By Julia Falcon
 

Fredericks breaks down footage from Dean

3:29 p.m. – Fredericks looks at body camera footage from Dean on the night of Oct. 12, 2019. 

He says there is a blur from the lights, meaning the camera was moving quickly. He also sees the camera pointing up, which means Dean's shoulder moved up.

He pointed out where the camera showed a "human figure."

By Julia Falcon
 

Body camera explanation continues

3:16 p.m. – Fredericks continues to explain how body cameras work and collect data. He begins to analyze body camera footage from the night of Oct. 12, 2019.

By Julia Falcon
 

Fredericks explains how body cameras work

2:39 p.m. – While explaining to the court how body cameras work, Fredericks says cameras cannot "reproduce the perspective of the officer."

By Julia Falcon
 

Court resumes

2:18 p.m. – Court returns from break and Grant Fredericks, forensic video analyst, is called to the stand.

By Julia Falcon
 

Court breaks to prepare for next witness

1:55 p.m. - Dean admits, "It's not a perfect execution of general orders," of his actions on Oct. 12, 2019. 

The judge then calls for a break so the court can prepare for the next witness. 

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Dean has pleaded not guilty to murder for killing Jefferson, after firing into her home in October 2019 in front of her young nephew. The charge carries a possible sentence of 5 to 99 years.
By Annie Gimbel
 

Prosecutor Dale Smith passes the witness

1:46 p.m. - Prosecutor Dale Smith passes the witness.

By Annie Gimbel
 

Dean's attorneys object

1:36 p.m. - Dean's attorneys object to "badgering of the witness," by Prosecutor Dale Smith but the judge sustains. 

By Annie Gimbel
 

Questioning from Prosecutor Dale Smith continues

1:30 p.m. - Prosecutor Dale Smith continues to hammer away at Dean's decisions the night Jefferson was killed. 

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Aaron Dean takes the stand in day four of his murder trial.   CBS 11 News

Prosecutor Dale Smith: "If there could have been more bad guys there, was it a good idea to leave the back of the house without surveillance... and exposed you and Officer Darch's six as you ran to the front of the home?"

Dean: "There are risks in police work and I had to make a choice."

Prosecutor Dale Smith: "It wasn't a good idea, was it?"
Dean: "It was the only way to do that."

By Annie Gimbel
 

Court resumes session

1:15 p.m. - Court resumes session 

By Annie Gimbel
 

Ken Molestina and Jason Allen recap morning testimony

1:00 p.m. - The court is in recess but Ken Molestina talks to Jason Allen about the testimony from former Fort Worth police officer, Aaron Dean and what we might be able to expect in the afternoon. 

Day 4: Aaron Dean Trial Morning Recap 08:12
By Nick Blackhall
 

Courtroom breaks for lunch

Noon — The courtroom has taken its lunch break. Proceedings are expected to resume at 1 p.m. 

By Annie Gimbel
 

'I think I did a fine job'

11:55 a.m. - "I think I did a fine job."

Dean stands his ground when repeatedly asking by Dale Smith how he thinks he handled the situation. 

By Annie Gimbel
 

'More bad police work?' prosecutor Dale Smith grills Dean

11:25 a.m. - Prosecutor Dale Smith continues to grill Dean on the stand.

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Prosecutor Dale Smith questions Aaron Dean on Dec. 12, 2022. CBS 11 News

Prosecutor Dale Smith: 'Y'all just went right out in the open, in the most obvious place to cross the street where anyone at that intersection can see... is that correct?"
Dean: "Yes."

Prosecutor Dale Smith: "Wouldn't you agree that isn't a good way to sneak up on anybody?"
Dean: "Yes."

Prosecutor Dale Smith: "So more bad police work?"
Dean: "Yes."

By Annie Gimbel
 

'I thought it was the dog,' Dean questioned about Jefferson's dying breaths

11:20 a.m. - Under cross examination, Dean admits he never started CPR on Jefferson. 

Prosecutor Dale Smith: "How fast did you start CPR?"
Dean: "I don't recall."

Prosecutor Dale Smith:: "Did you see the video? How fast did you start CPR?"
Dean: "It was a while."

Prosecutor Dale Smith: "Did you start CPR?"
Dean: "No."

Prosecutor Dale Smith: "You saw she was bleeding -- correct? You heard her last breaths -- correct?"
Dean: "I heard what I now know were her last breaths."

Prosecutor Dale Smith: "Because you didn't know then it was her last breaths, did you?"
Dean: "I thought it was the dog."

By Annie Gimbel
 

Dean's police tactics scrutinized

11:15 a.m. - Dean's police tactics scrutinized under cross examination. 

By Annie Gimbel
 

Cross examination begins

11 a.m. - Cross examination begins. 

By Annie Gimbel
 

'What is going on?' Dean admits confusion after shooting

10:25 a.m. - Dean describes first seeing Atatiana after shooting her. 

"I get to that back bedroom. And to my right I see a kid (we now know as Zion). And I'm thinking, who brings a kid to a burglary? What is going on? I see a dog... and I remember going over to the person laying on the floor, and saw the weapon between her feet. I put my gloves on and picked it up." 

Dean then said, "I hear Officer Darch talking to Zion... we now know he said, 'I don't want to go to jail.' And she tells him, 'Don't worry you're not going to jail.'" 

But a minute later, Dean takes back this statement, apologizing to the court, saying he didn't actually hear that exchange, but is "processing."

By Annie Gimbel
 

'The gun was pointed directly at me'

10:21 a.m. - "The gun was pointed directly at me."

Dean explains at length why he shot Atatiana Jefferson. 

"We are taught to meet deadly force with force. We are taught not to wait and defend ourselves."

After hearing Officer Carol Darch call out "Shots fired! Shots fired!" Dean said he called for medical attention for Jefferson immediately. He said she was laying face down on the floor and he couldn't "really see anything else in the room."

He and Officer Darch then ran to the front of the house. They went inside.

By Annie Gimbel
 

Tearful Dean describes shooting Jefferson

10:20 a.m. - A tearful Aaron Dean described shooting Atatiana Jefferson. 

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Aaron Dean gives detailed testimony about the moment he shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson in 2019.  CBS 11 News

"Show me your hands! Show me your hands!"

"And as I started to get that second phrase out, I saw the silhouette... and I was looking right down the barrel of a gun. And when I saw the barrel of that gun pointed at me, I fired a single shot from my duty weapon. And immediately had the flash from the muzzle reflecting off the window, and as my weapon recoiled the light was bouncing on my vision so I couldn't see. When my vision cleared, then I observed the person... that we now know as Ms. Jefferson. I heard her scream and fall like this. And I knew that I had shot that person."

By Annie Gimbel
 

Dean explains: 'I thought we had a burglar'

10:08 a.m. - Dean explained further the moments leading up to the fatal shooting. 

Attorney: "When you looked into the window, did anything catch your eye?"
Dean: "Yes, as I looked through that window... low in that window I observed a person. Couldn't tell -- Black, White, male, female -- I saw their torso bent over horizontal. The upper arms were moving, like they were reaching, grasping for something."

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Aaron Dean trial day four.  CBS 11 News

Attorney: "When you see that adult torso at the window, what do you do?"
Dean: "I thought we had a burglar, so I straightened up and drew my weapon... and then pointed it toward the figure. I couldn't see their hands. And we are taught that the hand... and what's in them are what kill. So I drew my weapon to tell that person to show me their hands."

By Annie Gimbel
 

Dean describes why he thought Jefferson home burglarized

10 a.m. - Dean continued to describe what he saw outside Jefferson's home the night of the fatal shooting. 

"The edge of the screen frame looked like it was pulled back. I also saw a screw driver at the base of the door and some lawn equipment."

He also explained why he was whispering to the other officer on-scene.

"We didn't want a potential burglar to hear us and attack us."

By Annie Gimbel
 

'It looked ransacked', Dean describes Jefferson home

9:55 a.m. - Dean explains what he saw the night of Oct. 11, 2019 when he responded to Atatiana Jefferson's house moments before he shot and killed her through a window claiming she pointed a gun at him. 

screen-shot-2022-12-12-at-10-09-49-am.png
Aaron Dean 12.12.2019 CBS 11 News

"The street was dark, but I could see the front door was open and I could see light spilling out of it. The lights were on inside. I remember it being quiet."

An attorney asked, "When you looked into the house from the front door, what observations did you make?"

"The glass door was shut but the inner door was open. Objects were strewn about all over the floor. It looked ransacked. It was a mess. Kitchen drawers were open... it looked like someone had gone through looking for items to steal." 

He was working the 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift. 

By Annie Gimbel
 

Dean answers questions about training background

9:38 a.m. - When asked by defense attorneys, "During your time with a field training officer did you have an opportunity to respond to different priority level calls within the city of Fort Worth?"

Dean replied, "Yes."

"Is it safe to assume as part of your training at the academy you learned to use the mobile data computers in the squad car?"

Dean replied, "Yes."

"Is there an acronym for that?"

Dean replied, "Yes. MDC."

"Were you given training on the radio system for the city of Fort Worth Police Department?"

Dean replied, "Yes."

By Annie Gimbel
 

Dean described varying degrees of 'priority calls'

9:40 a.m. - Dean said on the night of the Jefferson shooting, he had two radios with him. 

"One was in my vehicle and the other was on my duty belt."

Attorneys asked Dean to describe his understanding of priority calls.

"Priority one is a very high priority call... usually someone is in danger.  Something's actively going down. Priority two, don't dilly dally but you don't have to run code. A priority three, we'll take care of that when we can."

He was also asked to explain what "code" means.

"It means lights and sirens."

By Annie Gimbel
 

Aaron Dean takes the stand

9:28 a.m. - Aaron Dean didn't waste time addressing the jury when he took the stand on Dec. 12. 

"This jury needs to hear from me and hear the truth."

Following that statement, the 38-year-old former Fort Worth police officer briefly described his life growing up in Arlington. He also talked about his professional life prior to joining law enforcement. He formerly worked as an engineer at a commercial refrigerator plant in the area. 

At the age of 32, he started the application process to become an officer with the Fort Worth Police Department. In August of 2017, he was accepted to the police academy. 

By Annie Gimbel
 

First witness takes the stand

9:05 a.m. - Day four of the Aaron Dean trial begins with defense expert witness Grant Fredericks talking about body camera video and evidence. 

By Annie Gimbel
 

Aaron Dean Trial Day 4: Live updates

Defense attorneys began presenting their case at 9 a.m. Monday in Tarrant County's 396th District Court.

By Annie Gimbel
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