Some video shot from the sidewalk was part of the evidence. Anyone mentioned by name in any article is welcome to file a response. Time spent in the car between cases or office meetings. After two mistrials, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office dismissed the remaining misdemeanor charge of careless discharge of a weapon causing death. The trial for Weekley, a white officer, in the death of a black child has caused some to draw parallels to the case of Michael Brown, the unarmed teen fatally shot by Police Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, in August. Rep. John Conyers has also asked the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the girl's shooting death. Anthony Potts recalled the night 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones was killed during a police raid. The jury sent a note to Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway saying little progress had been made during the three days of deliberations over the fate of Officer Joseph Weekley, who faced charges of felony . He has been profiled by the A&E show "Detroit SWAT.". 'They knew there were children in there. The only reason Few ran from Greenhouse that night was to catch up with Dixon so he could give her Jeremy in case he was arrested. This website expresses our OPINIONS. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. The prosecution will file an emergency appeal with the Court of Appeals, according to the Detroit News. Associated Press That the ten-year-anniversary of Aiyana's death passed largely unacknowledged, . The law is a gray area at best. 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. If convicted, he faces a maximum 15-year sentence for the manslaughter charge. 17:14 GMT 11 Oct 2014 found guilty of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter. Ellis was unarmed. Charges Dismissed Against Joseph Weekley, Cop Who Fatally Shot Sleeping 7-Year-Old. He says he accidentally fired his gun during a struggle with Aiyana's grandmother. The raid commenced at roughly 12:40 a.m. Judge Dismisses Manslaughter Charge For Cop Who Shot 7-Year-Old To Death. She died a short time later. 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. A 17-question survey given to prospective jurors on Monday included four questions related to the Ferguson shooting, according to The Detroit News. I know in my heart and before God that what transpired that day was out of my control, but I will still have terrible grief weigh upon me every day for the rest of my life, his statement said. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. "The guy was just pointing right there and Aiyana [was] hit," Jones testified last year. Weekley was first through the door, and saw what he thought was an empty room with a man standing in the far doorway, he testified last year. Jose Guerena, 26, was a Marine Corps veteran who'd served two tours of duty in Iraq. Judge Hathaway declared a hung jury after less than three days of deliberations. (John T. Greilick/Detroit News via AP, File), 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. Je'Rean called his mom to come pick him up, but before she arrived, Owens returned and shot the teen. Weekley claims his MP5 sub-machine gun fired when Aiyana's grandmother, Mertila Jones, slammed his gun with her hand. Belinda Robinson for MailOnline. However, the Clerk of Court, the District Attorneys Office, Marksville Police Department, and City Court noted that they did not have any warrants against him. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. The story of Aiyana Stanley-Jones' death really starts with Je'Rean Blake, a 17-year-old who was killed less than two days earlier. The Special Response Team arrived in its armored vehicle with a warrant to arrest Chauncey Owens, who was known to stay with his fiance at 4056 Lillibridge Street. "The whole reason there was even a chase was for his well-being," he said. Download the Yahoo News app. Weekley is being retried after a jury failed to reach a verdict last year in . The girl was shot in the head while she slept on a couch. When Detroiters rallied last year for Trayvon Martin, the unarmed Florida teen killed by a neighborhood watchman in 2012, Mertilla Jones addressed the crowd. Weekley testified the grandmother struck his weapon and caused him. and The city of Detroit has reached an $8.25 million settlement with the family of . Detroit Police Chief James Craig told George Hunter of the Detroit News last week that Weekley was restored to active duty April 2. According to Weekley, a fellow officer threw a flash-bang grenade through the window, temporarily blinding him. In November 2015,Few's fiance came forward about her relationship to Greenhouse. 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. Kelley joined the station on February 10, 1986, two months after graduating from the University of Florida. 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. Part of HuffPost Black Voices. He went in there to protect the citizens of Detroit from a man wanted for murder, Diaz said. neither Jones' fingerprints nor DNA were found on the officer's gun. prosecution will file an emergency appeal, shot Stanley-Jones in 2010 during a botched police raid in search of a murder suspect. They're looking to protect," said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing Wednesday. Lexipol. DETROIT, MI -- It's been five years since Detroit Police Officer Joseph Weekley led a SWAT team in search of a murder suspect and fatally shot 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones. Weekley told jurors that he accidentally pulled the trigger during a struggle with the girl's grandmother, but Mertilla Jones denied interfering with the gun. All he had to do is follow his training and we wouldn't be here.'. A man rides a bicycle past the house where Aiyana Stanley-Jones was killed in Detroit, Monday, May 17, 2010. Yetthe 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. DETROIT The SWAT team member whose gun, authorities say, killed 7-year-old Aiyana Jones Sunday during a raid at her home has been identified, and details about his police record have been released. Weekley has been listed in various paid, off-duty statuses since the shooting early May 16, 2010. 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. Part of HuffPost Crime. 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. Wayne County Judge Cynthia Hathaway said Weekley's trial will start Monday, Sept. 15, 2014 as planned. When asked by prosecutors if knowing children were in the house would have forced police to change raid tactics, Davis responded: 'Probably not.'. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Fishman attempted to discredit her while requesting dismissal of the manslaughter charge. He was accused of being 'grossly negligent' in how he handled his submachine gun as his black-clad, masked and armed unit stormed the Detroit home to capture a suspect in May 2010. She was in her pajamas. The girl's father, Charles Jones, was convicted of second-degree murder for providing the gun used to kill Blake. His attorney, Leon Weiss, calls the verdict "contradictory and compromised," pointing out that it found Jones not guilty of having a gun and yet suggested that he was guilty of second-degree murder for giving Owens a gun. Edward Carmack Email, Phone Number, Company, Colleagues, Competitors, Peers, Interests, Skills, Seniority By They found Owens upstairs and arrested him. Weekley says the MP5 only weighs six pounds and has almost no recoil, which is why he didn't initially know it had fired. 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. Last week, a neighbor testified that he tried to tell officers before they raided the home that children were inside. The special response team that arrived at the Stanley-Jones home two nights later was looking for Owens, who was involved with Aiyana's aunt and lived in the flat on the second story. "He's heartsick, because he lost his daughter and he got charged with something he didn't do," Weiss said of Jones. Officer on trial: Joseph Weekley testifies in his own defense Judge Cynthia Gray Hathaway declared a mistrial in the case for the second time after the first trial ended in a hung jury in June 2013. Enter https://www.police1.com/ and click OK. The comments of visitors or guest authors to the website are their opinions and do not therefore reflect our opinions. Jones maintains his innocence. 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. Police threw a stun grenade through a window, emitting smoke, bright light and vibrations to confuse anyone inside. Who Is DPD Officer Joseph Weekley? During the trial, the prosecution sought to show that it was against procedure for Weekley to have his finger on the trigger of the gun and that not following his training caused the girl's death. 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. 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. We believe today's settlement is fair because it balances the needs of Aiyana's family and our responsibility for the city's finances. How that happened is currently under investigation by the Michigan State Police. He said Tuesday plans to protest the return of Weekley are in the works but not finalized. 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. 18:48 GMT 19 Jun 2013 Dixon's testimony did confirm that Few was, in fact, attempting to wave her down and pointing at Jeremy. 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. However, for his family, the outcome of Greenhouse's future trial and the fact that Stafford just got 40 years, are the only things that can provide even a semblance of comfort. Officer Joseph Weekley's first trial ended in a hung jury, and a judge eventually dismissed the charges against him after a second trial in 2014. He would have been charged with second-degree murder.". Weekley's colleagues gave him the nickname "The Brain," according to The Detroit News, because he was always thinking. Unfortunately for the family of little Aiyana, justice failed them. 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. "This was essentially a military assault on a private dwelling," Ron Scott, spokesman for the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, told the Associated Press last year about the raid on the Stanley-Jones home. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. 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. ', 'I don't think it's fair because he's a police officer that he gets to get away with this again. He has been a member of the SWAT team for six years, and on the Detroit police force for 14 years. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Joseph Weekley testifying at first trial in June, 2013. We hope this resolution will provide everyone involved a measure of closure," Garcia said in a statement. He claims he accidentally pulled the trigger when Aiyanas grandmother, Mertilla Jones, grabbed his gun. 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. Detroit Corporation Counsel Lawrence Garcia announced the settlement with the family of Aiyana Stanley-Jones four days before a civil trial was to begin. Officers had been. Unfortunately, a beautiful little girl, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, 7, lost her life because of his reckless and violent actions. The girl was shot in the head while she slept on a couch. The fact that a police officer received such a hefty sentence is a win for victims of police misconduct across the country. On the third day of deliberations, loud voices could be heard coming from the jury room. It was the first time any family member had stood in front of Weekley and directly accused him. This is Weekley's . 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. According to the Greenhouse and Stafford, the officers decided to conduct a traffic stop because Few had an outstanding warrant. Officer Placed At Desk Job DETROIT - The SWAT team member whose gun, authorities say, killed 7-year-old Aiyana Jones Sunday during a raid at her home has been. As the Free Thought Project has previously reported, this entire scenario could've been over a relationship. Joseph / ( dzf) / noun Old Testament the eleventh son of Jacob and one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 30:2-24) either or both of two tribes descended from his sons Ephraim and Manasseh Saint Joseph New Testament the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus (Matthew 1:16-25). Mertilla Jones, who. "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.". College No schools to show High school Went to Eastern Montgomery Photos See all photos Others Named Joseph Weekley Joey Weekley Joe Weekley But the shot killed Aiyana. But prosecutors charged him with involuntary manslaughter because they believe he handled his submachine gun recklessly, causing the girls death. They were conducting a police raid in search of a murder suspect who lived at that address -- and being filmed for a reality TV show in the process -- when Officer Joseph Weekley accidentally fired his gun. I understand there is a certain part of the public that is crying foul on this. Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee said Weekley was investigated after he was involved in a barricaded gunman shooting last summer. Since the shooting, Weekley has been placed on a desk job. Belinda Robinson for MailOnline Fishman was referring to the prosecution, not the defense. When Weekley stepped inside, he fired a single shot that went through Stanley-Jones' head. Meet Killer CopOfficer Joseph Weekly Detroit Michigan Police Department, Detroit police officer Joseph Weekley faces felony conviction. Wake up to the day's most important news. 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. 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. "He won't be in the field.". Hathaway then granted the prosecution's request for a stay on her decision and adjourned court until Monday. Officer Joseph Weekley still faces a charge of reckless discharge of a firearm in the death of Aiyana Stanley-Jones. 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. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. "I seen the light leave out of her eyes.". The shield seemed unnecessary, Weekley testified. 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. DETROIT The city of Detroit reached an $8.25 million settlement Thursday with the family of a 7-year-old girl accidentally killed by a police officer during a 2010 raid. At the beginning of the case, jurors were asked to decide the officer's fate. The judge dismissed the charge after defense attorney Steve Fishman said prosecutors didn't show that Weekley acted willfully. In 2013, at Weekley's first trial, his lawyer pointed to Jones' inconsistent accounts of the shooting and otherwise attacked her credibility, according to MLive. A judge has dropped the felony charge leveled against Joseph Weekley, the Detroit police officer who in 2010 shot 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones to death. Before Weekley's trial, potential jurors were asked questions related to the Ferguson shooting and if they had seen reports that might influence their decision in the case. 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. 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