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. 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. 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. 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. 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. He was arrested in a separate upstairs unit of the multi-family house. and manufacturers. Spokeswoman Maria Miller said the prosecutors office still believes it has a strong case, which is why it decided to put Weekley on trial again. , updated A 17-question survey given to prospective jurors on Monday included four questions related to the Ferguson shooting, according to The Detroit News. Officers were briefed that theyd be entering a possible dope den, in which the suspect might be armed and might even possess dangerous dogs.. Anthony Potts recalled the night 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones was killed during a police raid. 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. The kids are having a great time and we're just really happy for the children," Weekley said on the videotape. During the last vote, the panel was split 7 to 5, with seven voting not guilty and five saying Weekley was guilty of the charge. After Aiyana's death, the mayor banned police from working with reality TV crews. He says he accidentally fired his gun during a struggle with Aiyana's grandmother. This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. 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. The prosecution will file an emergency appeal with the Court of Appeals, according to the Detroit News. Enter https://www.police1.com/ and click OK. We believe today's settlement is fair because it balances the needs of Aiyana's family and our responsibility for the city's finances. The only full justice would be to bring Aiyana back and I can't do that.". Fishman attempted to discredit her while requesting dismissal of the manslaughter charge. How A Police Officer Shot A Sleeping 7-Year-Old To Death, the militarization of U.S. law enforcement, charged with felony involuntary manslaughter, could have affected how the police executed their search warrant, prosecutors allege that Owens told Je'Rean, gave Owens the gun he used to kill Je'Rean, serving a prison sentence of 40 to 60 years, disputed the Westbrooks' version of events, cleared of wrongdoing in a non-fatal shooting in 2009. 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. 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. This Monday, jury selection began for Weekley's retrial. Shooting: Detroit Police Officer Joseph Weekley testifies during his first trial in Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit, Michigan, his second trial was declared a mistrial on Friday Judge. 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. In Michigan, such a crime carries a potential 15 year prison sentence. Report your Judge, Lawyer or Government Office, Report your Judge, Attorney & Public Official Today. He says he accidentally fired his gun during a struggle with Aiyana's grandmother. "I would only pray that [the prosecutor] would only use the same zeal he used on my client, Charles Jones, in trying to get a conviction in [Weekley's] case," Weiss told HuffPost this week. 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. Aiyana Mo'Nay Stanley-Jones (July 20, 2002 - May 16, 2010) was a seven-year-old African-American girl from Detroit 's East Side who was shot in the neck and killed by police officer Joseph Weekley during a raid conducted by the Detroit Police Department's Special Response Team targeting a suspect in the apartment a . Weekley was first tried in connection with Aiyana's death in 2013, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict. Associated Press Officer Joseph Weekley says the victim's grandmother grabbed his weapon during a midnight raid. # 22-13, Pg. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. We hope this resolution will provide everyone involved a measure of closure," Garcia said in a statement. Your source for Local information & breaking news across southeast Michigan plus 4Warn Weather providing you with accurate forecasts so you can plan your day. 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. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. DPD Spokesman John Roach said the Detroit Police Department SWAT team member is 34-year-old officer Joseph Weekley. Feast day: Mar 19 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. However, the juryand the judge did not buy it. They said that theynever agreed unanimously, but listened to each others view points, took three votes and had some jurors shift sides. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. DPD Spokesman John Roach said the Detroit Police Department SWAT team member is 34-year-old officer Joseph Weekley. He also helped organize a recent event called Run With the Cops, Not From Them. One of the most important questions that jurors needed to answer was whether the discharge of the weapon was a result of the defendant's carelessness, recklessness or negligence. There were no threats. Part of HuffPost Crime. After two. Police sources also have told Local 4 that DPD?s SWAT team has been put on hold until further notice. The film. All he had to do is follow his training and we wouldn't be here.'. 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. She pleaded no contest to the obstruction of justice charge, and the perjury charge was dropped. 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. It should be of no surprise then, when we learn of SWAT raids not just for low-level drug crimes, but also for zoning violations or underage drinking, or that there are now police departments in America that serve every felony search warrant with a SWAT team, regardless of the crime. Weekley says he accidentally fired his gun during a struggle with Aiyana's grandmother. The settlement still needs approval from the Detroit City Council. 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. The officers entered Stanley-Joness home searching for a murder suspect who was later found in the adjacent unit, throwing a flashbang grenade into the room where the girl was sleeping with her grandmother, then shooting her in the head seconds later. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Belinda Robinson for MailOnline Owned and operated by the Hernandez family UglyJudge.com UGLYJUDGE Copyright 2006-2023 All Rights Reserved Notice: "We, are not attorneys. found guilty of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter. Officer Joseph Weekley had been charged in the death of Aiyana Stanley Jones. We do not give legal advice. The bullet struck and killed Aiyana. Moments ago, one of the cops who killed 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis while on duty, was sentenced to an unprecedented 40 years in prison. 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. Wayne County Judge Cynthia Hathaway said Weekley's trial will start Monday, Sept. 15, 2014 as planned. 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. "The whole reason there was even a chase was for his well-being," he said. If convicted, Weekley could face up to 15 years behind bars. Another question asked whether jurors had seen reports of "the so-called military equipment by police departments here and elsewhere that might influence your decision in this case," drawing a parallel between the law enforcement methods used in Detroit and those employed by Ferguson police officers during the protests that followed Brown's death. "I seen the light leave out of her eyes.". 'This is a bittersweet outcome: Bitter because Weekley was not convicted, and sweet in that justice for Aiyana Jones will come soon,' said Roland Lawrence. Game credits for World of WarCraft: Battle for Azeroth (Windows) Mertilla Jones, who witnessed Detroit police officer Joe Weekley shoot her granddaughter Aiyana in May 2010, speaks at Grand Circus Park on July 14, 2013 in Detroit. 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. 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. 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. It's the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for law enforcement agencies and police departments worldwide. 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. Mark Diaz, union president of the Detroit Police Officers Association, said he was disappointed by the decision. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. He has been free on personal bond since his arraignment in 2011. 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. So why would they come in there like that? Wake up to the day's most important news. His lawyer later described it as a tragic accident. On May 16, 2010, plaintiff's decedent Aiyana Stanley-Jones, 7, was inside her Detroit home when she was shot in the head. Loud voices could be heard in the jury room in Wayne County, Michigan a few hours before jurors threw in the towel in the case of Joseph Weekley on Tuesday and were dismissed. Officer Joseph Weekley will return to court Nov. 21, and Wayne County prosecutors now have six weeks to see whether they will seek to have Weekley tried for a third time. College No schools to show High school Went to Eastern Montgomery Photos See all photos Others Named Joseph Weekley Joey Weekley Joe Weekley "I knew it was my gun that went off because I was right there," Weekley said. He has been profiled by the A&E show "Detroit SWAT.". But race, the jurors said, never played a role in deliberations, despite the fact that Weekley is white, and Aiyana was black. The law is a gray area at best. 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. Lexipol. interacts online and researches product purchases Do Not Sell My Personal Information. "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.". 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. 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. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). The officers also claimed Few had a weapon, that was also a lie. Weekley shot Stanley-Jones in 2010 during a botched police raid in search of a murder suspect. She was in her pajamas. 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. 18:48 GMT 19 Jun 2013 According to the Greenhouse and Stafford, the officers decided to conduct a traffic stop because Few had an outstanding warrant. 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Copyright 2003 by ClickOnDetroit.com. Officer Joseph Weekley was first through the door and after a flash-bang grenade went off, he fired his gun, killing Aiyana. The family's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, said the settlement should allow the family, the city and Weekley to move on from the tragedy. They've criticized the nighttime raid and the possible use of excessive force, particularly the use of a flash-bang grenade. 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. (CBS/AP) DETROIT - Joseph Weekley, a Detroit police officer charged in the fatal shooting of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones, testified Thursday that he still feels "devastated and depressed". AP Photo by Carlos Osorio. 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. 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. Associated Press Daily Mail Reporter An anonymous Detroit official told Mother Jones in 2010 that using the grenade was "not protocol.". The tainted relationship appears to be the only possible motive for the stop that night as no definitive explanation has yet to be given as to why Greenhouse was moonlighting, riding alone that night and decided to pull Few over. Court of Appeals, according to the obstruction of justice charge, and perjury... 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