What to Know
- Aaron Dean takes the stand on the trial's fourth day saying "the jury needs to hear from me and hear the truth."
- The defense rests its case on the trial's fifth day. Closing arguments are set to begin Wednesday morning.
- The prosecution called its rebuttal witness to the stand before resting Tuesday afternoon.
The trial for former Fort Worth officer Aaron Dean entered its fifth day Tuesday with the defense questioning a use of force expert before resting their case.
Prosecutors then called a rebuttal witness to shed light on a "failed tactical response" on the night of the shooting.
The experts gave conflicting testimony about whether Dean's actions followed police training and were reasonable on the night he killed Atatiana Jefferson.
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The jury was sent home for the day at about 3:15 p.m. while the judge and attorneys worked through written instructions related to the applicable laws in the case.
The judge said closing arguments would begin Wednesday morning, after which the jury will begin deliberations.
DEFENSE PRESENTS 'USE OF FORCE' EXPERT AS WITNESS
Dr. Jay Coons, a ‘Use of Force' expert, testified on how training prepares officers for calls like "open structure," to which Dean and his partner Officer Darch responded, and the steps that should be taken when arriving at the scene.
Coon has testified that Dean and his partner acted within police training guidelines and did “a fine job,” while investigating the ‘open structure’ call at the home of Atatiana Jefferson.
“Police officers are trained that when a firearm is pointed at you, shoot that individual, you are in extreme danger, you are in danger of being shot and killed,” Coons said. “As far as the training, as far as your options as a human being, it’s down to one decision — one decision only.”
"They didn't know what they had," Coons said. A statement he repeated several times in describing his observations of how Dean and Darch conducted themselves during the investigation at Jefferson's home.
The nature in which they approached and the observations they were making were "perfectly fine," said Coons.
The defense rested its case.
THE PROSECUTION CALLS ITS REBUTTAL WITNESS TO STAND
Prosecutors called rebuttal witness Jonathyn Priest, a forensic analyst, to the stand Tuesday. Priest worked as a homicide investigator for the Denver Police Department and has expertise in officer-involved shootings, in-custody death investigations and crime scene analysis.
Priest testified on what he believes was a failed tactical response on the night of the shooting, saying the officers' "approach wasn't terrible but it could have been better."
Priest stated several times that the officers should have called for backup. He also testifies that although the officers were looking for signs of forced entry, they should have never left the front door unsecured, because "signs of forced entry can be seen from a distance."
DOCUSERIES: THE DEATH OF ATATIANA JEFFERSON
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