The City of Fort Worth, Texas has agreed to pay Zion Carr a $3.5 million settlement for witnessing the deadly police shooting of his aunt Atatiana Jefferson.
The traumatic incident happened in 2019, when Carr was just 8 years old. The child was at Jefferson’s home when former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean shot her to death. Dean was responding to a call asking for a welfare check on the 28-year-old.
According to a federal lawsuit filed by Carr’s mother Amber Carr (Jefferson’s sister) in 2021, Zion suffered “anxiety, terror and agony.” In addition, Amber said her son dealt with “severe and extreme mental and emotional distress.”
Just two years after the lawsuit was filed, Amber Carr died of congestive heart failure. On Tuesday, The Fort Worth City Council voted to approve the $3.5 million settlement that was proposed earlier this month.
On Oct. 12, 2019, Jefferson was in her house babysitting and playing video games with Zion when she heard a noise coming from outside. Jefferson’s family said Dean did not announce himself as a cop when he entered a gate to get into the victim’s backyard.
Per the lawsuit, Jefferson grabbed her gun — which she legally owned — to protect herself and went to the window to see what was going on. Body camera footage released by police revealed Dean and his partner looking through a window with a flashlight.
They screamed for Jefferson to put her hands up right before she was shot. The welfare check request was made because a neighbor saw the front door to Jefferson’s house was open. Her family said it was left ajar to let cool air in, the lawsuit states.
Last year, Dean was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for Jefferson’s death. Zion Carr will receive lump sum payments to cover the cost of living and a college savings plan up to age 40.