The City of Fort Worth is preparing to present a proposed $11.25 million civil-rights settlement to the Fort Worth City Council on Aug. 25 in the case arising from the 2019 killing of Atatiana Jefferson in her suburban Fort Worth home. If the council approves the agreement, it would then require court approval in probate before becoming final.
Settlement details and prior payment
The proposed payment follows a prior $3.5 million settlement that the city approved in 2023 for Zion Carr, the nephew who was present at the home the night Jefferson was shot. Taken together, the city will have agreed to pay $14.75 million in connection with Jefferson’s death.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Proposed civil-rights settlement (to estate) | $11,250,000 |
| Previously approved payment (Zion Carr) | $3,500,000 |
| Total agreed by city | $14,750,000 |
A city news release said a majority of the new $11.25 million settlement will be placed into trust funds for Jefferson’s two nephews, with the remainder to be divided among other family members. The boys’ portions are expected to remain in trust until they turn 18, according to the news release.
What led to the shooting
Jefferson was shot in the early hours of Oct. 12, 2019, after a neighbor placed a nonemergency call to police. Former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean responded, entered the backyard of the home and fired a single shot through a bedroom window that killed Jefferson. Jefferson had been in the bathroom with a gun after hearing noise in the backyard; court records and trial reporting showed lights in the home and the front doors open because Jefferson and her nephew had left them ajar while airing out smoke from burned hamburgers.
Dean was originally charged with murder. In 2022, a jury convicted him of the lesser offense of manslaughter. He was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison. An attempt by Dean to have the U.S. Supreme Court hear an appeal was denied in 2024.
Local leaders and family response
In a statement included with the joint news release, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said the city recognizes the family's loss and hopes the agreement will help them move forward.
"Atatiana Jefferson's family and loved ones have suffered a profound and unimaginable loss," Mayor Mattie Parker said. "While no settlement can undo the devastating impact of this tragedy, we hope this agreement offers a meaningful measure of closure and allows everyone to move forward."
Jefferson’s sister, Ashley Carr, has said the settlement could bring an end to the legal portion of the family’s fight, according to the news release.
Practical next steps and implications for Fort Worth
The City Council’s Aug. 25 consideration is the next formal step. If council members approve the proposed settlement, probate court review will be required to finalize the agreement and the trust arrangements for minors. Approval would mean the city has resolved its civil exposure in the wrongful-death litigation filed by Jefferson’s family in 2020.
- City Council will vote on the proposed $11.25 million settlement Aug. 25.
- Probate court approval is required before funds can be distributed or trusts finalized.
- The earlier $3.5 million payment to Zion Carr remains separate but adds to the city’s total outlay related to the case.
The case has been a focal point in Fort Worth’s conversation about police practices, public trust and accountability since 2019, and the proposed settlement will likely renew local debate about use-of-force policies and police response to nonemergency calls. City officials framed the agreement as an effort to provide the Jefferson family with closure while resolving a long-running civil claim against the city.
The proposed settlement does not change the criminal convictions in the separate state prosecution of Aaron Dean, which concluded with his manslaughter conviction and prison sentence in 2022.
The City Council agenda packet for Aug. 25 will provide the formal terms and recommended findings that will guide the council’s discussion and vote.
