He spotted housemate Vincent Ellis standing in a doorway just before a stun grenade exploded, temporarily blinding him. 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. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). Your source for Local information & breaking news across southeast Michigan plus 4Warn Weather providing you with accurate forecasts so you can plan your day. and manufacturers. Sleeping 7-year-old girl shot in head during no-knock police raid on wrong home, Charges Dismissed Against Joseph Weekley, Cop Who Fatally Shot Sleeping 7-Year-Old, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QeD1uUgmKw. Weekley testified the grandmother struck his weapon and caused him. Innocent people stop their vehicles, surrender to the police," defense attorney Jonathan Goins said as hecalled Few "the author of that child's fate," during the trial. She died a short time later. Then, officers stormed the house and once inside, a round from Weekley's sub-machine gun struck Aiyana in the head while she slept on a couch. Ellis was unarmed. The raid was being filmed for an episode of The First 48, and many believe the excessive tactics used were employed simply to create drama and excitement for the camera. In at least one of those other raids, Weekley and his team were accused of using unnecessary force. 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. 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. 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. 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. Weekley says he accidentally fired his gun during a struggle with Aiyana's grandmother. The jury foreman, a pastor said:This has not been an easy case.. He says he accidentally fired his gun during a struggle with Aiyana's grandmother. After two mistrials, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office dismissed the remaining misdemeanor charge of careless discharge of a weapon causing death. At the beginning of the case, jurors were asked to decide the officer's fate. All rights reserved. Photo by Thomas Alex Graves. Police1 is revolutionizing the way the law enforcement community After prosecutors objected, the judge suspended her decision and ordered a recess until late morning. After Aiyana's death, the mayor banned police from working with reality TV crews. prosecution will file an emergency appeal, shot Stanley-Jones in 2010 during a botched police raid in search of a murder suspect. Associated Press Prosecutors claim Aiyana's father, Charles Jones, gave Owens the gun he used to kill Je'Rean. During the heartbreaking trial, Chris Few, Jeremy's dad, noted that Stafford and officer Norris Greenhouse Jr. immediately started firing with no warning when they stopped him on that fateful night. The officers also claimed Few had a weapon, that was also a lie. 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. 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. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. A 17-question survey given to prospective jurors on Monday included four questions related to the Ferguson shooting, according to The Detroit News. Charges officially dismissed against officer Joseph Weekley WXYZ 7 Action News is metro Detroit's leading source for breaking news, weather warnings, award-w. AP Photo by Carlos Osorio. , updated Roland Lawrence of the Justice for Aiyana Jones Committee explained only one juror was African American and that he had 'no confidence in this jury' once he realized the racial disparity. neither Jones' fingerprints nor DNA were found on the officer's gun. Coward Cop breaks into the wrong home, blames grandmother for having his finger on the trigger and shooting their 7 year old child in the head AP Photo by Carlos Osorio. The raid commenced at roughly 12:40 a.m. Anyone mentioned by name in any article is welcome to file a response. 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. It's then that Weekley says Mertila Jones bore down on him with her arm striking his gun. As he was trained, Weekley testified his finger was outside the trigger guard when he entered the home carrying a large ballistics shield that he dropped almost immediately after entering the home. Sadly, for Jeremy Mardis, who will never see another Christmas or Birthday or throw the ball with his dad, the reason for the stop that night is irrelevant. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. The event raised funds for kids with cancer. "He won't be in the field.". The girl was shot in the head while she slept on a couch. Weekley was first through the door, with a shield in one hand and a gun in the other. 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 reality TV show. 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. Atkins, Virginia Tack welded trailer frames, wired up refrigeration units and ran all the electrical components for each trailer. Judge Hathaway declared a hung jury after less than three days of deliberations. All rights reserved (About Us). Weekley is also charged with careless discharge of a weapon causing death, a misdemeanor that might not carry a jail sentence if he is convicted, according to the Detroit News. It was Owens they were after. Wayne County Judge Cynthia Hathaway said Weekley's trial will start Monday, Sept. 15, 2014 as planned. Prosecutors say that Owens then left the store. He also could have been cleared of all charges. 'There has not been one single day that has gone by since that day where I have not thought about the loss of Aiyana and I will be haunted by this tragedy for the rest of my life.'. He says he accidentally fired his gun during a. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). testified that he put his gun to her granddaughter's head and pulled the trigger, escorted from the courtroom after an emotional outburst directed at Weekley during her testimony, misdemeanor that might not carry a jail sentence if he is convicted. That's wrong to me.'. Despite our concerns about lawyers in general, We suggest that anyone with legal questions consult an attorney for an answer, particularly after reading anything on this website. Davis, the officer who tossed the stun grenade, said the team was unaware children were inside. Copyright 2023 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. Greenhouse, whose defense team has been pulling insane tactics out of the woodwork up to and including demanding to know if any prosecution witnesses underwent hypnosis or any "truth-determining examinations," such as polygraph tests or sodium pentothal. Associated Press. Killing of Aiyana Jones. This website is to expose government corruption, law enforcement corruption, political corruption, and judicial corruption. On the third day of deliberations, loud voices could be heard coming from the jury room. ', 'I don't think it's fair because he's a police officer that he gets to get away with this again. Check out footage (below) of the judge's ruling Friday: CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated that attorney Steve Fishman said the defense would need to demonstrate Officer Joseph Weekley acted in a "grossly negligent manner" in the circumstances leading to Stanley-Jones' death. Owens was suspected of having killed a teenager a few days earlier, a charge for which he would eventually be convicted. The only thing he saw upon entering the home on Lillibridge in Detroit was a "pile of clothes" on a couch by the entrance and a 19-inch TV flickering in the dark room. (John T. Greilick/Detroit News via AP, File) theguardian.com. 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. 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. Photo by Paul Warner/Getty Images. Unfortunately, a beautiful little girl, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, 7, lost her life because of his reckless and violent actions. In 2007, police raided the home of Martin Westbrook, who at that time was allegedly already in custody for an armed robbery. A member of an elite Detroit police team failed to follow his training when he stormed a house looking for a murder suspect with his finger on the trigger and shot a 7-year-old girl who was asleep on the couch, a prosecutor said Thursday at the start of an involuntary manslaughter trial. Meanwhile, Weekley released a statement shortly before the mistrial was declared. Charges Dismissed Against Joseph Weekley, Cop Who Fatally Shot Sleeping 7-Year-Old 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. Local 4 News every morning. 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. Officer Weekley was indicted on October 4, 2011 by a Detroit grand jury, charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and Negligent Discharge of a Firearm in the tragic death of seven year old Alyania Stanley Jones in May 2010. The pair later exchanged the marriage vows and tied the knot on June 22, 2019, in Denver, Florida. They're looking to protect," said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing Wednesday. HuffPost reporter Radley Balko wrote last year that reality shows profiling police actions support a growing "police-industrial-entertainment complex": Over the last decade or so, the cable dial has been stuffed full of programming that serves to make us more comfortable with police units that treat neighborhoods like battlefields. 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