He says he accidentally fired his gun during a struggle with Aiyana's grandmother. "I knew it was my gun that went off because I was right there," Weekley said. Associated Press Jennifer Joseph Expand search. By FILE - In this June 18, 2013 file photo, Detroit police officer Joseph Weekley stands in Judge Cynthia Hathaway's courtroom at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice during his criminal trial in the 2010 killing of Aiyana Stanley-Jones during a police raid in Detroit. 'They knew there were children in there. 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 bullet struck and killed Aiyana. 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. 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. Weekley, a member of an elite police unit, insists he accidentally pulled the trigger when Aiyana's grandmother grabbed his gun as officers burst through the door of her home. The other cop who shot and killed Jeremy that night has yet to go to trial. He says he accidentally fired his gun during a struggle with Aiyana's grandmother. The afternoon of May 14, Je'Rean had just bought an orange juice at a liquor store when he had a confrontation with a man named Chauncey Owens, 38. theguardian.com. She pleaded no contest to the obstruction of justice charge, and the perjury charge was dropped. "Innocent people do not run from the police. 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. 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. 17:14 GMT 11 Oct 2014 However, the juryand the judge did not buy it. 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. Detroit Police Chief James Craig told George Hunter of the Detroit News last week that Weekley was restored to active duty April 2. The raid occurred after midnight, and Weekley was first through the door of the Stanley-Jones home on the east side of Detroit, as a film crew shadowing the officers filmed for a reality television show. "The police are not just going in looking to hurt people; that's not the case at all. I understand there is a certain part of the public that is crying foul on this. Officer Joseph Weekley had been charged in the death of Aiyana Stanley Jones. 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. Copyright 2023 Je'Rean called his mom to come pick him up, but before she arrived, Owens returned and shot the teen. He claims he accidentally pulled the trigger when Aiyanas grandmother, Mertilla Jones, grabbed his gun. Weekley is being retried after a jury failed to reach a verdict last year in . According to the Detroit Free Press, prosecutors allege that Owens told Je'Rean: "Stay right here. The little girl, 7 years old, died instantly. 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. 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. We do not practice law. "I'm out here to fight any way for the other Aiyanas that's to come," she said, "because it ain't stop at just my grandbaby.". As the Associated Press reports,Ruth Wisher, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Jeff Landry's office, said Stafford was sentenced to 40 years for manslaughter and 15 years for attempted manslaughter. Charges Dismissed Against Joseph Weekley, Cop Who Fatally Shot Sleeping 7-Year-Old. It's the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for law enforcement agencies and police departments worldwide. "He won't be in the field.". During a late night police raid to apprehend a murder suspect, Defendant Officer Joseph Weekley somehow discharged his firearm, fatally wounding seven-year-old Aiyana Jones. Last week, a neighbor testified that he tried to tell officers before they raided the home that children were inside. Your source for Local information & breaking news across southeast Michigan plus 4Warn Weather providing you with accurate forecasts so you can plan your day. Prosecutors claim Aiyana's father, Charles Jones, gave Owens the gun he used to kill Je'Rean. Officer Weekley faced his first trial in June 2013. Owens was later convicted of murder in the death of 17-year-old Je'rean Blake, who was fatally shot outside a convenience store days before the raid. They came to kill, and they killed a 7-year-old.'. I've got something for you." Weekley's new trial comes amid national conversations about police brutality and institutional racism -- conversations sparked by the death of Michael Brown, the unarmed black teen shot and killed by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri last month. A fellow officer is said to have thrown a flash-bang grenade, and Weekley fired his gun shortly after, killing the 7-year-old girl, who was sleeping on the couch. Armed with an MP5 submachine gun and behind a shield, Weekley had been tasked with being first into the home in search of murder suspect, Chauncey Owens. Wake up to the day's most important news. On the night of the shooting on May 16, 2010, police and the Special Response Team went to an address in Detroit's east side to carry out a search for a murder suspect. Police threw a stun grenade through a window, and Weekley was the first officer through the door. Jones maintains his innocence. 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. Watch: Who Is The Officer Involved In Girl's Shooting? Associated Press, FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2014, file photo, Dominika Stanley wipes away tears after Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway declares a mistrial after a jury said they cannot reach a verdict in a criminal trial against Detroit Police Officer Joseph Weekley, accused of shooting her daughter Aiyana Stanley-Jones, at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, in Detroit. and Chauncey Owens, whom police were searching for in the raid, was eventually arrested in a second-floor unit of the duplex where the girl and her family lived. 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 has said that the girl's grandmother, Mertilla Jones, who had also been asleep on the couch when police arrived, came up to him and grabbed his gun, causing him to shoot. "Aiyana's death was a tragic loss for her family and has been a heavy burden on our community. He said he began to realize what happened. Critics of police militarization have pointed to Aiyana's death when looking at ramifications of the increased use of SWAT teams among local law enforcement. Who Is DPD Officer Joseph Weekley? Detroit Officer Joseph Weekley is charged with involuntary manslaughter. By Judge Hathaway declared a hung jury after less than three days of deliberations. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The kids are having a great time and we're just really happy for the children," Weekley said on the videotape. Besides the glaring presence of toys strewn about the lawn and front porch, it is unlikely that investigators could have missed the presence of four young children and multi-generational family in the opposite unit during their surveillance of the duplex. "I stuck my hands out the window. This is Weekley's . Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee said Weekley was investigated after he was involved in a barricaded gunman shooting last summer. He went in there to protect the citizens of Detroit from a man wanted for murder, Diaz said. This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. Weekley says he accidentally fired his gun during a struggle with Aiyana's grandmother. Dominika Stanley, left, the mother of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones, sits next to Aiyana's father Charles Jones in attorney Geoffrey Fieger's office in Southfield, Michigan, Tuesday, May 18, 2010. The girl's father, Charles Jones, was convicted of second-degree murder for providing the gun used to kill Blake. Weekley had not been on the force since 2010 when he shot a sleeping child in the head during a botched raid executed on the wrong home. A surveillance unit had been monitoring the duplex in which he lived throughout the day and a no-knock raid was scheduled for just after midnight. finds relevant news, identifies important training information, Though many details about the events surrounding Aiyana's death were revealed in the 2013 trial, a number of questions remain unanswered. A stun grenade was thrown through a window to confuse anyone inside. 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. Officer Joseph Weekley says the victim's grandmother grabbed his weapon during a midnight raid. After two trials without result, police officer Joseph Weekley will not face another trial for fatally shooting Aiyana Stanley-Jones, a sleeping seven-year-old, during a 2010 raid filmed by a . He said Detroit police are trained to push away anyone who tries to grab an officers gun or to move the weapon in a J shape to keep control of it. Weekley, a member of an elite police squad, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Aiyana, who was shot in the head in May 2010 while sleeping on her grandmother's couch. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement that her office was moving to dismiss the case against Officer Joseph Weekley. Armed with MP5 submachine guns, adrenaline, and an unhealthy fear for officer safety, the raiders shuffled past the toys that littered the front yard and ignored the two distinct street address signs hanging on either side of the shared porch of the multi-unit building; 4056 was on the left, 4054 was on the right. Officers had been. Ill never be the same, no.. Opening statements in Weekley's new trial are scheduled to begin this week in the Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit. Owned and operated by the Hernandez family UglyJudge.com UGLYJUDGE Copyright 2006-2023 All Rights Reserved Notice: "We, are not attorneys. The girl was shot in the head while she slept on a couch. The prosecution and defense have offered contradictory depictions of the events leading up to Stanley-Jones' death. On the evening of May 16, 2010, the Detroit Police Departments Special Response Team (SRT) prepared for a surprise raid to arrest a wanted man. 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