Fort Worth increases spending to defend officer convicted in fatal shooting
The Fort Worth City Council voted 10-1 at its June 23 meeting to spend up to $200,000 defending former police officer Aaron Dean in civil lawsuit stemming from the fatal shooting of Atatiana Jefferson in 2019.
While Dean is no longer a city employee, state law requires cities to pay for the legal defense of police officers sued in civil court for on the job incidents.
“Dean was employed at the time of the incident, so he is covered under the statute,” city attorney Leann Guzman said in an email to the Star-Telegram.
Only District 5 council member Deborah Peoples voted against the measure.
District 8 council member Chris Nettles, who represents Jefferson’s former neighborhood, said in a phone call with the Star-Telegram that he’d normally vote against such measures, but wasn’t aware of it before the vote.
“I wouldn’t have voted for it, but it was going to pass because we’re required to do it,” he said.
The measure approving the additional spending was pulled off the council’s consent agenda, which normally happens when a council member wants to recuse themselves from voting on a particular item or wants to make a statement about that item’s importance.
District 6 council member Mia Hall recused herself from two consent agenda items because of her employment with the Fort Worth school district.
However, no one spoke on the measure, Nettles said, adding he wasn’t paying close attention before casting his vote.
In a statement posted to social media, Nettles called his vote “an honest mistake” and asked residents not to see it as a reflection of his character, values or long-standing advocacy for social justice.
Council member Peoples, the sole dissenting vote, did not immediately return a phone call from the Star-Telegram requesting comment.
Dean is serving a nearly 12-year prison sentence after being convicted of manslaughter in 2022. A federal civil lawsuit brought by Jefferson’s estate is pending in federal court.
Part of that lawsuit was settled in 2023 when the Fort Worth City Council approved paying $3.5 million to Jefferson’s nephew, Zion Carr, who witnessed the shooting and testified in Dean’s criminal trial.
However, the estate is still seeking damages from both Dean and the city alleging Dean used excessive force and the city bears some responsibility.
The parties failed to reach a settlement during a court-led mediation session in April. Both sides indicated they plan to continue working toward a settlement. Another mediation session is scheduled for September, according to a court docket entry.
This story was originally published June 24, 2026 at 5:00 PM.
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