Rallies to mark black woman shot at home by white cop

Detroit is among several U.S. cities where a social justice group plans demonstrations to mark the fatal police shooting of an African American woman in Texas.

A rally is planned for 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Spirit of Detroit Plaza, 2 Woodward, one of at least 15 planned in response to the death of Atatiana Jefferson, 28,  of Fort Worth who was shot early on Oct. 12 by white city police officer, Aaron Dean.

Dean had been dispatched to Jefferson's home to conduct a welfare check in response to a call from a neighbor saying her front door was open.

Dean, who resigned, has been charged with murder. He fired a shot at Jefferson as she looked out a window after hearing noises outside her home. Dean is not heard on his body cam identifying himself as a police officer.

"At approximately 5:30 PM ET, people across the country will stand in solidarity and demand justice for Atatiana and all Black women whose lives have been taken due to police abuse. Everyone is being asked to WEAR BLACK on Monday as a sign of unity," organizers with UNTIL FREEDOM said in a press release Thursday.

“It is absolutely outrageous to consider that less than one week after Officer Amber Guyger was found guilty of murdering Botham Jean in his home in Dallas, that another Texas police officer could fire with impunity into the home of another innocent black person,” said Tamika Mallory, one of the organizers of the rallies planned in other cities such as Atlanta, Houston, Newark and Washington, D.C.

“We demand answers, but more importantly, we demand change. We will not allow black people to continue to be preyed upon by those committed to protecting and serving them."

"Nothing will change until you demand it," said Alia Harvey-Quinn, director of Force Detroit and Project of the Faith in Action National Network community organizations. "Getting people to discuss strategy building (is) the first step on that road."

Harvey-Quinn said "people are tired" of hearing of cases of police brutality and cthe deaths of African Americans like Jefferson. She said there are many other cases that don't get the same attention.

"Detroit has a long-standing torrid history of police brutality, criminalization of the poor and unjust prosecution," said Harvey-Quinn on Thursday. 

bwilliams@detroitnews.com

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