Aaron Dean, the white former cop who shot dead a 28-year-old black woman through the window of her home while performing a wellness check on Saturday night, resigned on Monday as the Fort Worth Police Department prepared to fire him

The white police officer who fatally shot a 28-year-old black woman through the window of her own home on Saturday was arrested and charged with murder Monday night.

The Fort Worth Police Department announced that officer Aaron Dean had been charged, and is being held in Tarrant County Jail.

His bond has been set at $200,000, jail records show.

Dean and another officer were called to the home to perform a wellness check after a neighbor noticed Atatiana Jefferson's front door was open at around 2.30am Saturday.

Body camera footage shows one of the officers shining a flashlight into a window of the home, before Dean fired a single shot, killing Atatiana.

'The Fort Worth Police Department would again like to express our deepest condolences to Ms. Jefferson's family,' A Fort Worth Police spokesman said during a Monday night press conference.

'We understand that this is a tough and tragic event, not only for the family, but for the community.

'We value the trust we have with our community. We will continue to build that trust. And we will continue to be as transparent as possible in all police matters.

'To the citizens and residents of our city, we feel and understand your anger and disappointment,' the spokesman continued. 'And we stand by you as we work together to make Fort Worth a better place for us all.'

Atatiana Jefferson, 28, was playing video games with her eight-year-old nephew just before 2.30am Saturday when Dean shot her through the window of a home on East Allen Avenue

S. Lee Merritt, the attorney for Jefferson's family says they are 'relieved' that Dean has been jailed on a murder charge.

Merritt says the family 'needs to see this through to a vigorous prosecution and appropriate sentencing.'

He adds that 'the city of Fort Worth has much work to do to reform a brutal culture of policing.'

Interim Fort Worth police chief Ed Kraus announced that Dean had tendered his resignation on Monday afternoon.

He said the department had been gearing up to terminate the officer's employment.

Dean may still face civil rights violations as well, and 'no longer has the protections of state civil service law', Kraus said.

The officer has yet to hire an attorney, but his legal bills will be footed by Texas' largest police union, the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, according to Charley Wilkison, the group's executive director.

At the same Monday press conference, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price called Atatiana's killing unjustified.

'I'm so sorry. On behalf of the entire city of Fort Worth, I'm sorry,' Price said. 'To Atatiana's family, it's unacceptable. There is nothing that can justify what happened on Saturday morning. Nothing.'

Fort Worth Police released body camera footage of the officer firing the fatal shot through Atatiana's window after seeing her walk by during a welfare check

Dean and another officer were called to Atatiana's home by a neighbor who noticed that the door was open at around 2.30am Saturday.

Atatiana was playing video games with her eight-year-old nephew when they heard a noise outside and she got up to investigate, assuming it was a prowler.

Dean is seen during his graduation from the police academy in 2018

Body camera footage released by the Fort Worth Police Department shows Dean shining a flashlight into the back side home as Atatiana approached the bedroom window.

'Put your hands up! Show me your hands!' he shouts through the window with his gun drawn.

A split-second later, the officer fired a single shot, killing Atatiana in front of her nephew.

Atatiana 'Tay' Jefferson's loved ones spoke at a press conference on Monday, sharing their heartbreak over her death and calling for murder charges to be brought against the officer responsible.

The 28-year-old's death sparked outrage in the community that has seen seven police-on-civilian shootings since June.

Lee Merritt, the family's attorney, called the Fort Worth Police Department's response to the situation 'absurd'.

He opened Monday's press conference by stating that the shooting was 'not a one-off' or a 'bad luck incident from an otherwise sound department'.

'The Fort Worth Police Department is one of the deadliest in the United States. They're in need of serious systematic reform,' Merritt said.

'We are asking that the federal government comes in and takes a conscious look at the policies and procedures that allow something like this to happen.'

Dean (pictured) and another officer were called to Atatiana's home by a neighbor who noticed that the door was open at around 2.30am Saturday

The 28-year-old's loved ones spoke at a press conference on Monday, sharing their heartbreak over her death and calling for murder charges to be brought against the officer responsible

Lee Merritt, the family's attorney (center), opened Monday's press conference by stating that the shooting was 'not a one-off' or a 'bad luck incident from an otherwise sound department'

Seven police-on-civilian shootings by Fort Worth officers since June The October 12 shooting of Atatiana Jefferson was the seventh time a Fort Worth police officer has shot a civilian since June. It was also the 76th police on civilian shooting in Texas this year. June 1: Cody Wayne Seals Seals, a 38-year-old white man, was shot and killed by a Fort Worth SWAT officer after he shined a flashlight at police. Read more here. June 5: Esteban Vasquez Vasquez, a 27-year-old Hispanic man, was shot and wounded by a Fort Worth officer after he lunged at the cop, who was investigating a burglary. Read more here. June 8: JaQuavion Tyreke Slaton Three white officers opened fire on Slaton, a 20-year-old black man, as he fled a traffic stop. Slaton, who was wanted on an aggravated assault charge, died after being shot six times. Read more here. July 18: Markevvion Devonte Cannon Cannon, a 19-year-old black man, was shot and killed as he used children as human shields while firing at police from the third-story window of a home. Read more here. August 11: John Michael George George, a 46-year-old white man, was shot by a black officer who was responding to a call about a domestic disturbance at a home. Read more here. August 21: Amari Malone Malone, a black 18-year-old, was shot and killed while fleeing police. The teen was a person of interest in a homicide and was armed at the time of his death. Read more here. Advertisement

Merritt continued: 'This was a wellness call. It's beyond me to begin to understand what kind of police force responds to a wellness call with the equivalent of SWAT.

'This department and their officers violated not only the rights of Tay Jefferson and her family, but they just made common sense mistakes.'

He noted that as the officers surveyed the property they passed two open doors but did not announce themselves as law enforcement.

He alleged that they did not have probable cause to enter the backyard based on what the neighbor had told them on the non-emergency call.

'They created a deadly situation and they responded in a way that is not unique to the city of Fort Worth,' Merritt said.

'In the last six months they've had 10 officer-involved shootings, seven officer-involved deaths. That's more than most nations - for one city in Texas. That represents a serious problem that must be addressed.

'This family is calling for the firing of this officer. That's the least we could expect. They're calling for this officer to be vigorously prosecuted, to be appropriately sentenced.

'The investigation should be handled by someone other than the Fort Worth Police Department, specifically the Department of Justice, the FBI, or worst case scenario, the local sheriff's department. Anyone other that the city of Fort Worth, which is clearly incompetent to investigate itself, should be called in.

'Why this man is not in handcuffs right now is a continued source of agitation for this family and for this community and it must be addressed.'

After Merritt's opening statements, Atatiana's brother Darius Carr took the microphone.

He said that in the 12 years he's been in the military, he's been extensively trained in how to respond to specific situations, alleging that the officer who killed his sister did not follow his own training.

'When you don't do things the way you've been trained and taught, you have to answer for that,' Darius Carr said. 'You know better.'

Atatiana's loved ones have demanded justice for the 28-year-old aspiring doctor (pictured)

Atatiana's brother Darius Carr (pictured), who has served in the military for the past 12 years, alleged that the officer who killed his sister did not follow his own training. 'This man murdered someone, he should be arrested,' the brother said as he fought back tears

Atatiana's older sisters Amber (left) and Ashley Carr (right) also spoke at the press conference, describing their sister as a loving, caring soul who deserved justice

'This man murdered someone, he should be arrested,' he added as he fought back tears.

Next up was Atatiana's older sister and the mother to Zion, who witnessed his aunt get shot.

Amber Carr praised her son's steady response to the horrifying incident and said he's been the one taking care of her in the aftermath.

'He's my biggest encourager. In the middle of the night when I'm crying he wakes up and tells me to breathe. He holds me, he hugs me,' she said.

She said that Atatiana served as a mother figure to Zion and had recently served as his primary caretaker.

Another sister then delivered a statement on behalf of the family, first thanking the 'thousands' of people who had offered their support in this 'unbelievable time of shock and sorrow'.

Ashley Carr described Atatiana as a 'smart, ambitious, kind person with a nurturing spirit' who loved her family deeply.

She said Atatiana had recently moved into their mother's home to help out as she suffered health problems.

'There is simply no justification for his actions,' Ashley Carr said of the police officer who shot her sister. 'We demand justice for Atatiana.'

Following the shooting, the Fort Worth Police Department released a statement saying that the officer had opened fire after 'perceiving a threat'.

The department released images showing a handgun they said officers found inside Atatiana's home, but did not say where the gun was discovered or whether the officer who shot Jefferson saw it before pulling the trigger.

Merritt accused police of 'villianizing' Atatiana by sharing a photo of the gun, as if to suggest that she posed some kind of threat.

'You didn't hear the officer shout: "Gun, gun, gun." He didn't have time to perceive a threat. That's murder,' Merritt said after watching the video.

The FWPD said it released body cam footage soon after the shooting to provide transparency, but that any 'camera footage inside the residence' could not be distributed due to state law.

However, the body cam video released to media included blurred still frames showing a gun inside a bedroom at the home.

Merritt called the department's decision to release images of the gun 'obscene'.

He said that it was 'common sense' for a family to own a gun.

Interim police chief Kraus admitted Monday that it was inappropriate to release the photos of the gun.

'That is something we've done in the past - to include the photograph of the firearm to show what the perceived threat may have been,' Kraus said. 'In hindsight, it was a bad thing to do.'

He said he did not know whether Atatiana was holding the gun when the officers approached the home, but that the gun was found near the window where she was shot.

'We're homeowners in Texas ... Most of us, if we thought we had somebody outside our house that shouldn't be, and we had access to a firearm, we would be acting very similarly to how she was acting,' Kraus said.

Body cam footage shows two responding officers searching the perimeter of the home with flashlights. Atatiana heard the noises outside and went to the window to investigate

One of the officers shouted: 'Put your hands up! Show me your hands!' through the window at Atatiana before opening fire a split-second later

Police Lt Brandon O'Neil (pictured) called Jefferson's death an 'unspeakable loss'. He confirmed that the officer who pulled the trigger did not identify himself as law enforcement

A bullet hole could be seen in the back window outside the Fort Worth home on Monday

Atatiana's father Marquis Jefferson spoke out on Sunday, calling her death 'senseless'.

'My daughter was 28 years old, had her whole life in front of her,' he told KTXA of the aspiring doctor who worked in pharmaceutical sales.

'You have to know this is somebody's daughter. Somebody loved her. There was a better way. It didn't have to be like that.'

The case is being compared to the fatal of shooting of Botham Jean, who was killed by Amber Guyger - a white police officer who was off-duty - in his home just over a year ago.

Atatiana's father Marquis Jefferson spoke out on Sunday, calling her death 'senseless'

Marquis Jefferson recalled Jean's brother, Brandt Jean, asking at Guyger's October 2 sentencing whether he could hug his brother's killer.

The grieving dad said there won't be any such sentimentality for him about the officer who killed his daughter.

'Unlike this Botham Jean, I don't want no hug,' he said. 'That's my one and only daughter. I will never forget that.'

Atatiana's stepmother, Noella Jefferson, said her stepdaughter had hopes, dreams and aspirations that she will never be able to fulfill now.

Atatiana graduated with a pre-med degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2014.

'We have lost her for no reason,' Noella said. 'We have seen many cases like this where you think that they would have learned from it.'

One unexpected moment during Monday's press conference came when Atatiana's aunt, Venitta Body, read a statement from the victim's hospitalized mother, Yolanda Carr.

She said that Marquis Jefferson is not actually Atatiana's biological father and said he had not reached out to the family since the shooting.

Speaking alongside his wife Noella, Marquis Jefferson said: 'My daughter was 28 years old, had her whole life in front of her. You have to know this is somebody's daughter. Somebody loved her. There was a better way. It didn't have to be like that'

The neighbor who called a police non-emergency number about the open door on the night of the killing, James Smith, told reporters he was just trying to be a good neighbor.

'I'm shaken. I'm mad. I'm upset. And I feel it's partly my fault,' Smith said. 'If I had never dialed the police department, she'd still be alive.'

Smith said Jefferson and her nephew typically lived with an older woman, who's been in the hospital.

'It makes you not want to call the police department,' he said.

In an audio recording of Smith's call, which was released by police, the neighbor said it was 'not normal' for the front door of the house to be left open in the early hours of the morning.

James Smith (pictured), the neighbor who called a police non-emergency number about the open door on the night of the killing, said he feels partly responsible for her death

The home on East Allen Avenue where Atatiana was shot dead is pictured above

A large crowd later gathered outside Masjid Hassan Al Islam, a mosque next door to Atatiana's home on East Allen Avenue for a vigil on Sunday. Carol Harrison-Lafayette is seen holding a sign that reads: 'Enough is enough' as protesters chanted: 'No justice, no peace'

Atatiana's death sparked outrage in the community that has seen seven police-on-civilian shootings since June

Four-year-old Trinity Ford joins the crowd gathered during a Sunday vigil for Atatiana

News of Atatiana's death was met with heartbreak and fury in the community and nationwide.

Local activists marched through the streets of Fort Worth on Sunday evening, briefly disrupting traffic on part of Interstate 35.

A large crowd later gathered outside Masjid Hassan Al Islam, a mosque next door to Atatiana's home on East Allen Avenue for a vigil.

'No justice, no peace,' they chanted, holding signs that said: 'Enough is enough' and 'We deserve respect.'

'Everyone has the right to be angry but then what?' attendee Nita Sullivan told the at times agitated crowd.

'You can only shake your fists at the sky so many times.'

Omar Suleiman, a Dallas-area imam and activist, told the Dallas Morning News he did not speak during the vigil because he was speechless.

'I think people feel perpetually traumatized,' Suleiman said later.

'There's a great sense of sadness and anger. Her family wanted us to know that she was human. That should go without saying.'

Local minister and activist Rev Kyev Tatum of Ministers Against Crime and the 3E coalition called on Texas Gov Greg Abbott and Lt Gov Dan Patrick to travel to Fort Worth to address the shooting with the local community to help quell anger and address the issue of police shooting unarmed civilians in their own homes.

'Our young people are not going to tolerate this, no matter how much we tell them to be cool, remain calm, that justice will be served,' Kyev told WFAA.

'When another mother loses her wife, a caregiver for both her eight-year-old nephew and a grandparent, loses her life in her own home, there's something grossly wrong with the Fort Worth Police Department and they refuse to take responsibility for their actions.'

Jefferson's friends, Destinie and Floriberto Bartolo (pictured), said they had known her since high school. They took part in a community vigil outside her home on Sunday

Several lawmakers reacted to the shooting on social media.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen Bernie Sanders on Sunday called on the Justice Department to investigate.

'The killings of unarmed Black Americans have got to end,' Sanders tweeted. 'Atatiana Jefferson should be alive.'

In her own tweet, Elizabeth Warren called for police reform to include 'federal standards for use of force that incorporate proven strategies like de-escalation, verbal warning requirements, and the use of non-lethal alternatives.'

Former Housing and Urban Development secretary Julián Castro tweeted an article about the shooting and said police shouldn't make people 'unsafe in our own homes'.

'How many articles do we need to read or videos do we need to watch before we do something to reform policing in this country?' he asked.

A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $139,000 for Atatiana's family as of Monday morning.

News of the shooting captured nationwide attention as several lawmakers responded on social media. Democratic presidential candidate Sen Bernie Sanders on Sunday called on the Justice Department to investigate

Elizabeth Warren called for police reform to include 'federal standards for use of force that incorporate proven strategies like de-escalation, verbal warning requirements, and the use of non-lethal alternatives'