Texas officer testifies he saw gun before fatal shooting

By JAKE BLEIBERG
Associated Press

A former Texas police officer on trial for murder admitted during testimony that he made mistakes. But he said he had no choice when he fatally shot a Black woman through a rear window of her home, moments after he saw the woman pointing a handgun at him. Aaron Dean testified Monday that Atatiana Jefferson had the gun “pointed directly at me.” He also said on fourth day of his trial in the killing of the 28-year-old woman that his actions were “bad police work.” His testimony came more than three years after the white Fort Worth officer shot Jefferson during a call about an open front door. It’s his first public statement about case.