"He won't be in the field.". That's wrong to me.'. Lexipol. 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. DPD Spokesman John Roach said the Detroit Police Department SWAT team member is 34-year-old officer Joseph Weekley. Weekley shot and killed Aiyana Stanley-Jones on the night of May 16, 2010, as officers executed a search warrant on the duplex her family lived in. 17:14 GMT 11 Oct 2014 YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. It is not clear what his role in the nonfatal shooting was, but Godbee said he was cleared and it was determined that he acted appropriately. 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. Prosecutors say that Owens then left the store. After Aiyana's death, the mayor banned police from working with reality TV crews. 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. It really came down to defining negligence, the foreman said. Officers had been. Sleeping 7-year-old girl shot in head during no-knock police raid on wrong home Available for both RF and RM licensing. Owens pleaded guilty in April 2011 to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 28 years in prison for Blake's slaying. But Aiyana's great-uncle Fields added that he thought Weekley should apologize and say he made a mistake. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. 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. "I pulled the trigger of that gun, unintentionally, and I didn't even know it at the time," Weekley said in cout. Officer Joseph Weekley, a member of the Detroit Police Special Response Team, was indicted on an involuntary manslaughter charge after a nearly yearlong Michigan State Police investigation into . (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". The officers also claimed Few had a weapon, that was also a lie. ID 321.) 18:48 GMT 19 Jun 2013 "Aiyana's death was a tragic loss for her family and has been a heavy burden on our community. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He has been a member of the SWAT team for six years, and on the Detroit police force for 14 years. Last week, a neighbor testified that he tried to tell officers before they raided the home that children were inside. Unfortunately for the family of little Aiyana, justice failed them. 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). The other cop who shot and killed Jeremy that night has yet to go to trial. By Weekley says he accidentally fired his gun during a struggle with Aiyana's grandmother. It was a little after midnight when the Detroit Police Special Response Team, a unit similar to a SWAT team, descended on the Stanely-Jones residence in search of murder suspect Chauncey Owens, who lived upstairs. Detroit Officer Joseph Weekley is charged with involuntary manslaughter. 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Belinda Robinson for MailOnline He went in there to protect the citizens of Detroit from a man wanted for murder, Diaz said. "He's heartsick, because he lost his daughter and he got charged with something he didn't do," Weiss said of Jones. The judge dismissed the charge after defense attorney Steve Fishman said prosecutors didn't show that Weekley acted willfully. 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. 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. College No schools to show High school Went to Eastern Montgomery Photos See all photos Others Named Joseph Weekley Joey Weekley Joe Weekley Rep. John Conyers has also asked the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the girl's shooting death. The settlement still needs approval from the Detroit City Council. He said Tuesday plans to protest the return of Weekley are in the works but not finalized. Wake up to the day's most important news. 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. Some video shot from the sidewalk was part of the evidence. Ron Scott, founder of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, has represented Aiyana's family since the shooting. At the time, Weekley said, he didn't even realize he had fired his gun, thinking the shot had been fired by someone else. 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. She was in her pajamas. To read the full Conyers story, click here. A member of an elite Detroit police unit is set to stand trial again for killing a seven-year-old girl during a 2010 raid on her house that was captured on video by a reality TV crew. 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. Some jurors felt Weekley, should not have allowed his gun to discharge because of his training as a member of the Special Response Team, while others could not determine what happened. neither Jones' fingerprints nor DNA were found on the officer's gun. Police found Owens in the upstairs flat and he was arrested. and Two days before the raid 17-year-old Je'rean Blake was standing outside a neighborhood convenience store when he was shot to death following a dispute. 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. He also helped organize a recent event called Run With the Cops, Not From Them. "Innocent people do not run from the police. found guilty of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter. He was arrested in a separate upstairs unit of the multi-family house. Local 4 News every morning. Officer Joseph Weekley still faces a charge of reckless discharge of a firearm in the death of Aiyana Stanley-Jones. Copyright 2023 Police1. This website does not provide legal advice. Your source for Local information & breaking news across southeast Michigan plus 4Warn Weather providing you with accurate forecasts so you can plan your day. Whatever this website says about the law is presented in the context of how we or others perceive the applicability of the law to a set of circumstances if one of us (or some other author) was in the circumstances under the conditions discussed. It was the first time any family member had stood in front of Weekley and directly accused him. The jury composed of nine men and four women was seated Thursday in Wayne County Circuit Court and is expected to hear opening statements Monday morning in the trial of Joseph Weekley. There were no threats. 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. 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. As the Free Thought Project has previously reported, this entire scenario could've been over a relationship. Final charges against Joseph Weekley, a police officer who shot dead a 7-year-old girl, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, in Detroit in May 2010, were dismissed on Friday, leaving a family bereft and raising serious concern among national groups over an increasingly militarized police force. All rights reserved. They're looking to protect," said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing Wednesday. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Detroit Police Media Relations Director June West said Weekley returned to active duty on a "restricted" basis "a couple weeks ago.". 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. So why would they come in there like that? 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. Anyone mentioned by name in any article is welcome to file a response. Aiyana's parents, Charles Jones and Dominika Stanley, sued Detroit police officer Joseph Weekley on behalf of their daughter's estate. The night of the raid, a camera crew from A&E's "The First 48," a reality show that follows police officers during the first two days of murder investigations, was shadowing Detroit's Special Response Team. 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. 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. He said the settlement "won't provide full justice. He also could have been cleared of all charges. Local 4 obtained a video of Weekley in which he worked to help organize a charitable event called SWAT For Tots. Opening statements in Weekley's new trial are scheduled to begin this week in the Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit. 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 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. Police neglected to account for or flatly disregarded the safety of any potential children that might be present. Information includes the borrower, lender, address or legal description of the property . The Michigan Supreme Court last September cleared the way for a trial or settlement when it declined to hear an appeal after two courts ruled a jury could decide whether Weekley's actions amounted to gross negligence. After he was shot, Few lost consciousness and didn't know his son died until he woke up in a hospital six days later the day of Jeremy's funeral. Watch: Who Is The Officer Involved In Girl's Shooting? 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. The raid was recorded for a police reality TV show, The First 48, but there was no footage from inside the house. They've criticized the nighttime raid and the possible use of excessive force, particularly the use of a flash-bang grenade. 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. 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. Weekley had been facing a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for the manslaughter charge. In 2007, police raided the home of Martin Westbrook, who at that time was allegedly already in custody for an armed robbery. Police threw a stun grenade through a window, and Weekley was the first officer through the door. The police officer responsible for the shooting, Joseph "Brain" Weekley, is a member of Detroit's SWAT team and was a frequent subject on A&E, whose film crews were also filming the investigation for the documentary TV series The First 48. 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. finds relevant news, identifies important training information, But the shot killed Aiyana. According to ABC local afiliate WXYZ, evidence presented in court Thursday showed that neither Jones' fingerprints nor DNA were found on the officer's gun. 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