Fort Worth city council approves $11.25 million settlement in 2019 fatal police shooting

Under the proposed settlement, Jefferson's two minor nephews will receive their portions in a trust when they turn 18, and additional shares will be divided among other surviving family members.

Published: August 26, 2026 11:40am

The Fort Worth, Texas, city council unanimously approved on Tuesday an $11.25 million settlement for the family of Atatiana Jefferson.

In 2019, then-Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean and another officer responded to a nonemergency call to check on Jefferson's home around 2:30 a.m. because a door to the house was left open, ABC News reported. Jefferson heard Dean outside the home, but he never announced himself as an officer. She suspected a burglar, retrieved a gun and approached the window. Dean then shot Jefferson through the glass, killing her in front of her 8-year-old nephew. 

Dean resigned shortly after the incident and was sentenced in 2022 to over 11 years in prison after he was found guilty of manslaughter in Jefferson's death. 

Under the proposed settlement, Jefferson's two minor nephews will receive their portions in a trust when they turn 18, and additional shares will be divided among other surviving family members. The settlement now goes to the probate court to be finalized. 

 

 

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