Last week a woman named Atatiana Jefferson was gunned down in her bedroom by the police. Sparking national outrage, two pro athletes are merging their efforts together to cover the entire cost of the funeral for the woman.
Harrison Barnes and Malik Jackson are natives of Fort Worth and stepped up pay for the funeral expenses of the woman who was murdered in her home, while babysitting her nephew. Aaron Dean was the negligent officer who pulled the trigger. A neighbor noticed that Atatian’s door was left ajar, so she called the non-emergency line for a welfare check. The officer showed up and announced his presence before shooting and killing her.
This tragic story has touched the hearts of many, especially Barnes. He considers himself to be an integral part of the community after playing with the Mavericks for three seasons.
“It was a tragic situation that happened. No one should be killed during a wellness check”, Barnes said, adding that he hopes his contribution will help alleviate some of the stress Jeffersons tragic death has brought on her family.
Lee Merritt, the family attorney reported on the welfare of Jefferson’s nephew, whom she cared for.
“His mom tells me that she can see little changes in his character. Now when entering a room, he’ll kind of wait and watch the adults go in first. He’ll wait to see if the coast is clear and then he’ll enter”.
Initially, Jefferson’s nephew, Zion was taken by Texas CPS following the murder of his aunt. He had been living with Jefferson temporarily. While his mom recovered from open heart surgery, he enjoyed time with his aunt. And unfortunately, she is gone. Atatiana Jefferson is just one of the many people of color gunned down this year unlawfully by the police.