officer joseph weekley

Fishman said that for involuntary manslaughter to be proved, the prosecution would need to demonstrate that his client acted in a "grossly negligent manner" in the circumstances leading to Stanley-Jones' death. A member of an elite Detroit police unit is set to stand trial again for killing a seven-year-old girl during a 2010 raid on her house that was captured on video by a reality TV crew. It said: No matter the outcome of any jury's decision, I have already been devastated and my life has been ruined irreparably by the events that occurred on May 16, 2010. He will serve the sentences concurrently. He also could have been cleared of all charges. We do not practice law. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office alleged that Weekley's negligence led to Aiyana's death. According to Weekley, a fellow officer threw a flash-bang grenade through the window, temporarily blinding him. (CBS/AP) DETROIT - Joseph Weekley, a Detroit police officer charged in the fatal shooting of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones, testified Thursday that he still feels "devastated and depressed". "The police are not just going in looking to hurt people; that's not the case at all. At the time, Weekley said, he didn't even realize he had fired his gun, thinking the shot had been fired by someone else. They were accompanied by a camera crew from a TV reality show called 'The First 48, but the midnight raid was recorded from the outside, not the inside where Aiyana was shot. "The whole reason there was even a chase was for his well-being," he said. Owens was suspected of having killed a teenager a few days earlier, a charge for which he would eventually be convicted. According to ABC local afiliate WXYZ, evidence presented in court Thursday showed that neither Jones' fingerprints nor DNA were found on the officer's gun. They came to kill, and they killed a 7-year-old.'. During Weekleys first trial, a fellow officer, Shawn Stallard, testified that he did not see anyone struggle with Weekley. This is Weekley's . 0:22 After two hung juries, the Detroit police officer charged in the death of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones will not be tried again. They kept firing.". Jones maintains his innocence. the group of 12 was almost split down the middle over whether to acquit or convict Weekley on a misdemeanor charge of careless, reckless or negligent use of a firearm causing death. Weekley squeezed his eyes to try and regain his sight, he told the court, and heard a high-pitched moan, like someone "out of breath" coming from beneath the pile of clothes. Detroit police officer Joseph Weekley was spared a felony conviction on Tuesday over the killing of a 7-year-old girl after a jury deadlocked and a mistrial was declared,according to Detroit Free Press. The justice system did not work in this case, he said. But he was killed in his Tucson home on May 5, 2011, in a SWAT team assault gone awry. He said he was oblivious to the fact that the bullet was fired from his gun and suspected it was fired by Ellis' gun, whom he pursued into an adjacent bedroom. Police said Weekley came into contact with Aiyana's grandmother, Mertilla Jones, when they busted through the door in the early hours of Sunday morning and his weapon accidentally fired. Photo by Paul Warner/Getty Images. 19:48 GMT 11 Oct 2014, A trial against a Detroit police officer accused of shooting dead a seven-year-old girl ended in a mistrial after the jury became 'hopelessly deadlocked.'. He says he accidentally fired his gun during a struggle with Aiyana's grandmother. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. finds relevant news, identifies important training information, Marksville, LA Moments ago, in one of the stiffest sentences ever handed down to a cop for killing an innocent person while on duty, one of the Marksville police officers who killed 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Sleeping 7-year-old girl shot in head during no-knock police raid on wrong home He said Tuesday plans to protest the return of Weekley are in the works but not finalized. The jurors, asked that their names not be made public as they explained what happened over four days of deliberations. But the shot killed Aiyana. City attorney Lawrence Garcia announced the settlement with the family of Aiyana Stanley-Jones on Thursday, April 4, 2019 four days before a civil trial was to begin. The trial is expected to last about three weeks. Dixon's testimony did confirm that Few was, in fact, attempting to wave her down and pointing at Jeremy. Allison Howard, producer of "The First 48," was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice for showing the tape from that night to a third party and hindering the police investigation. "We're really happy to help out any way we can. 17:14 GMT 11 Oct 2014 The only full justice would be to bring Aiyana back and I can't do that.". Sally LaBorde, a passenger in the van Dixon was driving, also testified, saying she could clearly see Few pointing to Jeremy in the car, and the implication was unmistakable that he wanted Dixon to take care of his son, according to the Advocate. Since Aiyana's death, critics have denounced the practice of having TV producers in the midst of police investigations, and activists have argued that having a television crew present could have affected how the police executed their search warrant the night Aiyana was killed -- creating more of a spectacle than was necessary, for the sake of the cameras. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). Weekley has been listed in various paid, off-duty statuses since the shooting early May 16, 2010. Joseph Weekley testifying at first trial in June, 2013. As the Free Thought Project reported last week,Officer Derrick Stafford wasfound guilty of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter in the horrific fatal shooting of the six-year-old with autism on November 3, 2015. Not only wasthe justice system unable to hold Weekley accountable for the slaughter of a young girl but he wasreinstated to the force in 2015. Spokeswoman Maria Miller said the prosecutors office still believes it has a strong case, which is why it decided to put Weekley on trial again. A man rides a bicycle past the house where Aiyana Stanley-Jones was killed in Detroit, Monday, May 17, 2010. Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee said Weekley was investigated after he was involved in a barricaded gunman shooting last summer. Lexipol. The only full justice would be to bring Aiyana back and I can't do that.". Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Moments ago, one of the cops who killed 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis while on duty, was sentenced to an unprecedented 40 years in prison. and The girl's father, Charles Jones, was convicted of second-degree murder for providing the gun used to kill Blake. When Detroiters rallied last year for Trayvon Martin, the unarmed Florida teen killed by a neighborhood watchman in 2012, Mertilla Jones addressed the crowd. I don't understand how we could go through this again and have all this evidence brought forth and there not be a verdict, either way.. Then-Police Chief Warren Evans resigned from his post several months later, after authorities discovered he was pitching a reality show called "The Chief.". Judge Hathaway told the jurors: 'These things happen., But the little girl's distraught uncle Londell Fields said: 'I don't understand how we can go through this again and have all this evidence brought forth and there not be a verdict either way. Mark Diaz, union president of the Detroit Police Officers Association, said he was disappointed by the decision. Part of HuffPost Crime. All too often we see police officers murder the innocent only to be exonerated by a grand jury or acquitted during a trial. The city of Detroit has reached an $8.25 million settlement with the family of Stanley-Jones, who was accidentally killed by Weekley during a 2010 raid. The death of Aiyana, who was black, has since been a rallying point for Detroit activists, who say the girl has not received justice. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Weekley says the MP5 only weighs six pounds and has almost no recoil, which is why he didn't initially know it had fired. The fact that a police officer received such a hefty sentence is a win for victims of police misconduct across the country. City attorney Lawrence Garcia announced the settlement with the family of Aiyana Stanley-Jones on Thursday, April 4, 2019 four days before a civil trial was to begin. Copyright 2023 Police1. Joseph Weekley, a member of an elite police unit, was the first officer through the door of her home during a chaotic search for a murder suspect. Weekley's colleagues gave him the nickname "The Brain," according to The Detroit News, because he was always thinking. The film. To read the full Conyers story, click here. Stafford was facing a maximum sentence of 60 years for his role in the murder of Jeremy Mardis whenstate District Judge William Bennett sentenced him. He has been a member of the SWAT team for six years, and on the Detroit police force for 14 years. "He's heartsick, because he lost his daughter and he got charged with something he didn't do," Weiss said of Jones. Though many details about the events surrounding Aiyana's death were revealed in the 2013 trial, a number of questions remain unanswered. A former high school classmate of Dixon, Greenhouse had started messaging her on Facebook and had come by the house Few and Dixon were sharing at the time. by a Detroit police officer, Joseph Weekley. Wayne County Judge Cynthia Hathaway said Weekley's trial will start Monday, Sept. 15, 2014 as planned. Meanwhile, Weekley released a statement shortly before the mistrial was declared. Atkins, Virginia Tack welded trailer frames, wired up refrigeration units and ran all the electrical components for each trailer. Since the shooting, Weekley has been placed on a desk job. The jury could have convicted Weekley of involuntary manslaughter, a felony, or reckless discharge of a firearm, a misdemeanor. Mertilla Jones, who. By Another question asked whether jurors had seen reports of "the so-called military equipment by police departments here and elsewhere that might influence your decision in this case," drawing a parallel between the law enforcement methods used in Detroit and those employed by Ferguson police officers during the protests that followed Brown's death. The family's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, said the settlement should allow the family, the city and Weekley to move on from the tragedy. Aiyana was sleeping on one end of the couch, and her grandmother Mertilla Jones was on the other in May 2010 when an armed, black-clad and masked police officers stormed the apartment. The Michigan State Police are investigating the shooting. Here's the video A&E's cameras captured at the Stanley-Jones residence: The episode that would have featured footage from that night ultimately never aired. The comments of visitors or guest authors to the website are their opinions and do not therefore reflect our opinions. All rights reserved. Aiyana's parents, Charles Jones and Dominika Stanley, sued Detroit police officer Joseph Weekley on behalf of their daughter's estate. The girl was shot in the head while she slept on a couch. Officer Joseph Weekley fatally shot the young girl in what he claimed was an alleged struggle with Jones's grandmother, Mertilla Jones, though she says she had just reached over to protect the. Joseph Weekley, a member of an elite police unit, was the first officer through the door of her home during a chaotic search for a murder suspect. The hyper-aggressive tactics were made worse by the fact that police had taken it upon themselves to raid both sides of a duplex, when their suspect was only known to reside in one of them. 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By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. interacts online and researches product purchases Joseph Weekley, a member of an elite police unit, was the first officer through the door of her home during a chaotic search for a murder suspect. During the trial, Steve Fishman, Weekley's attorney, told jurors that the officer mistakenly pulled the trigger during a struggle with Mertilla Jones, the girl's grandmother. This website does not provide legal advice. When Weekley regained sight, he realized there was a person on the couch instead of what he'd originally thought was a pile of clothes. After two mistrials, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office dismissed the remaining misdemeanor charge of careless discharge of a weapon causing death. He spotted housemate Vincent Ellis standing in a doorway just before a stun grenade exploded, temporarily blinding him. DragonEye Tech: Leaders in LIDAR Speed Measurement, The family was awarded $8.25 million for the accidental death of the 7-year-old during a raid. Part of HuffPost Black Voices. "Then I started freaking out a little bit.". Aiyana Stanley-Jones was sleeping in her home on the east side of Detroit on the night of May 16, 2010, when officers barged into the house. Are not just going in looking to hurt people ; that 's not the case at all through the,! The comments of visitors or guest authors to the website are their and... Oct 2014 the only full justice would be to bring Aiyana back I. Hefty sentence is a win for victims of police misconduct across the country tried.. 17, 2010 been a member of the Detroit police Officers murder the innocent only be! Atkins, Virginia Tack welded trailer frames, wired up refrigeration units and ran all the electrical for! Released a statement shortly before the mistrial was declared Cynthia Hathaway said Weekley investigated. 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