If convicted, he faces a maximum 15-year sentence for the manslaughter charge. Owens pleaded guilty in April 2011 to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 28 years in prison for Blake's slaying. Daily Mail Reporter Weekley is being retried after a jury failed to reach a verdict last year in . 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. Detroit Police Media Relations Director June West said Weekley returned to active duty on a "restricted" basis "a couple weeks ago.". The girl's father, Charles Jones, was convicted of second-degree murder for providing the gun used to kill Blake. According to the Greenhouse and Stafford, the officers decided to conduct a traffic stop because Few had an outstanding warrant. 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. Detroit police officer who killed sleeping seven-year-old no longer facing charges. "I pulled the trigger of that gun, unintentionally, and I didn't even know it at the time," Weekley said in cout. Ron Scott, founder of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, has represented Aiyana's family since the shooting. 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. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. He said the settlement "won't provide full justice. He would have been charged with second-degree murder.". He told The Huffington Post that he questioned the motives of officials who "zealously" went after the father of a girl shot by a cop, describing the prosecution's case as extremely thin. Westbrook and his wife sued Weekley and other members of the SRT for assault, false imprisonment and gross negligence, alleging that officers came into the home without warning, shot and killed the family's two dogs for no reason and pointed guns at a child and infant, according to the complaint. The Registered Agent on file for this company is Joseph Weekley and is located at 141 Duesenberg Drive Ste 7b, Westlake Village, CA 91362. 18:48 GMT 19 Jun 2013 Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee said Weekley was investigated after he was involved in a barricaded gunman shooting last summer. 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. In a statement released yesterday, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said after two mistrials,. The settlement still needs approval from the Detroit City Council. 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 DPD Spokesman John Roach said the Detroit Police Department SWAT team member is 34-year-old officer Joseph Weekley. Officer Joseph Weekley fatally shot the young girl in what he claimed was an alleged struggle with Jones's grandmother, Mertilla Jones, though she says she had just reached over to protect the. The jurors were unable to reach a verdict in the case againstOfficer Joseph Weekley who was accused of shooting Aiyana Stanley-Jones during a raid on a house for a murder suspect in Detroit. Anthony Potts recalled the night 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones was killed during a police raid. 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. Watch: Who Is The Officer Involved In Girl's Shooting? 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. The family's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, said the settlement should allow the family, the city and Weekley to move on from the tragedy. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 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. A Detroit police officer accused of manslaughter in the death of a 7-year-old girl will go on trial this week, as national attention remains focused on the militarization of U.S. law enforcement. He also could have been cleared of all charges. 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. (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". Copyright 2023 He will serve the sentences concurrently. "Then I started freaking out a little bit.". 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. Greenhouse also happens to be the son of the assistant district attorney in Marksville. Part of HuffPost Black Voices. (Dkt. He was arrested in a separate upstairs unit of the multi-family house. I've got something for you." # 22-13, Pg. 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. 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. 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. "There is absolutely no evidence, none, that's in the least bit credible, that Officer Weekley knowingly created a danger or, more importantly, intended to cause injury," Fishman said in court Friday. Prosecutor Rob Moran argued: 'His training says, keep your finger off the trigger. By Weekley was charged with involuntary manslaughter, but a judge dismissed that charge during a second trial in 2014. Ellis was unarmed. We do not practice law. Officers had been. Fishman said that for involuntary manslaughter to be proved, the prosecution would need to demonstrate that his client acted in a "grossly negligent manner" in the circumstances leading to Stanley-Jones' death. She said she'd initially been asleep on the couch with Aiyana, but that she was on the floor when Weekley shot his weapon, not close enough to touch the gun. I understand there is a certain part of the public that is crying foul on this. The officers also claimed Few had a weapon, that was also a lie. "He's on vacation now, but when he returns, he'll be in a limited duty capacity," Craig told Hunter. Police disputed the Westbrooks' version of events, according to the Free Press, but the case was settled late in 2010, some time after Aiyana's death. Similar feelings were shared when police officer Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted by a grand jury after he shot and killed Philando Castile, . The family's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, said the settlement should allow the family, the city and Weekley to move on from the tragedy. Jury selection starts on Monday in Wayne County court, 15 months after Weekleys first trial ended with jurors unable to agree on a verdict. Anyone mentioned by name in any article is welcome to file a response. The event raised funds for kids with cancer. 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. 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. When Weekley returned to the family room, he watched Jones straddling her dying granddaughter, speechless and seemingly "in shock." She pleaded no contest to the obstruction of justice charge, and the perjury charge was dropped. As a medical device rep, it's common knowledge that we have a lot of "window time". According to the Detroit Free Press, prosecutors allege that Owens told Je'Rean: "Stay right here. But the shot killed Aiyana. Jones maintains his innocence. In November 2015,Few's fiance came forward about her relationship to Greenhouse. finds relevant news, identifies important training information, Available for both RF and RM licensing. According to attorneys for the Jones family, video evidence shows that at that point, Officer Joseph Weekley, a regular guest on reality television, shot inside the home, killing Aiyana. The company's filing status is listed as Suspended - Ftb and its File Number is 2555616. According to Weekley, a fellow officer threw a flash-bang grenade through the window, temporarily blinding him. Police1 is revolutionizing the way the law enforcement community 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. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Weekley, a member of an elite police squad, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Aiyana, who was shot in the head in May 2010 while sleeping on her grandmother's couch. His lawyer later described it as a tragic accident. Was she not. The settlement still needs approval from the Detroit City Council. Joseph Weekley charged with involuntary manslaughter in death of Aiyana Jones after he was 'grossly negligent' with handling gun during a raid, Claims pulled gun trigger accidentally during scuffle with her grandmother. Associated Press. Police staged a so-called safety briefing shortly before the raid; undoubtedly focusing on their own safety rather than the safety of unknown innocents behind the doors they were about to kick in. Brown's death, and the extreme tactics of police amid ensuing local protests, have sparked national conversations about police brutality and institutional racism in police forces across the country. The girl was shot in the head while she slept on a couch. 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. Prosecutors say that Owens then left the store. All too often we see police officers murder the innocent only to be exonerated by a grand jury or acquitted during a trial. 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. To read the full Conyers story, click here. Jose had just turned in, having worked 12 hours straight at a local mine, when his home was invaded. Jurors later told the judge they couldnt reach a verdict. 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. The law is a gray area at best. 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. All rights reserved. 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 . (Kathleen Galligan/Detroit Free Press via AP, File), Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. But supporters of the seven-year-old victim, Aiyana Jones, said they believe the jury was unable to reach a decision due to race. He went in there to protect the citizens of Detroit from a man wanted for murder, Diaz said. That's wrong to me.'. 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. When Detroiters rallied last year for Trayvon Martin, the unarmed Florida teen killed by a neighborhood watchman in 2012, Mertilla Jones addressed the crowd. Information includes the borrower, lender, address or legal description of the property . He has been profiled by the A&E show "Detroit SWAT.". He said he began to realize what happened. Associated Press ', 'I don't think it's fair because he's a police officer that he gets to get away with this again. Joseph Weekley shot Aiyana Stanley-Jones in 2010 Officer charged with involuntary manslaughter. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. 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. After Aiyana's death, the mayor banned police from working with reality TV crews. Weekley's fingerprints and DNA were also not found on the gun. It was Owens they were after. Some video shot from the sidewalk was part of the evidence. By "Aiyana's death was a tragic loss for her family and has been a heavy burden on our community. Copyright 2023 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. All rights reserved. The raid was recorded for a police reality TV show, The First 48, but there was no footage from inside the house. Last year the city settled with Aiyana's family for $8.25 million. 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. Police, being filmed by A&E's "The First 48," were looking for Chauncey Owens, who has since been convicted of killing 17-year-old Je'Rean Blake outside a nearby party store. 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. 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. They came to kill, and they killed a 7-year-old.'. He also helped organize a recent event called Run With the Cops, Not From Them. Jones insists she never touched Weekley or his gun, and she testified that he put his gun to her granddaughter's head and pulled the trigger, MLive reports. "It's my gun that shot and killed a 7-year-old girl," Weekley told Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Robert Moran during his first trial in 2013. Weekley shot Stanley-Jones in 2010 during a botched police raid in search of a murder suspect. JOSEPH WEEKLEY, INC. JOSEPH WEEKLEY, INC. is a California Stock Corporation - Ca - General filed on August 12, 2003. Wayne County Judge Cynthia Hathaway said Weekley's trial will start Monday, Sept. 15, 2014 as planned. Killing of Aiyana Jones. 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. The raid occurred after midnight, and Weekley was first through the door of the Stanley-Jones home on the east side of Detroit, as a film crew shadowing the officers filmed for a reality television show. Judge Hathaway declared a hung jury after less than three days of deliberations. 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. Rep. John Conyers has also asked the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the girl's shooting death. 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. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement that her office was moving to dismiss the case against Officer Joseph Weekley. Weekley was first tried in connection with Aiyana's death in 2013, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict. Case in point: Officer Joseph Weekley. Unfortunately, a beautiful little girl, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, 7, lost her life because of his reckless and violent actions. Wake up to the day's most important news. She was in her pajamas. Weekley told jurors: I just feel devastated and depressed. 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. The raid commenced at roughly 12:40 a.m. Head while she slept on a couch & # x27 ; s family for $ 8.25 million dismiss! A 7-year-old. ' 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Group... For the manslaughter charge 2011 to second-degree murder for providing the gun used to kill Blake shooting! Both RF and RM licensing was sentenced to 28 years in prison for Blake 's slaying for... Freaking out a little bit. `` out a little bit. `` owens pleaded guilty in 2011., has represented Aiyana 's death, the mayor banned police from working with reality TV crews Few 's came! Galligan/Detroit Free Press, prosecutors allege that owens told Je'Rean: `` Stay right.. By Graham Media Group, a fellow officer threw a flash-bang grenade through window...: I just feel devastated and depressed 12, 2003 will switch the search inputs to match the selection! The officer joseph weekley & E show `` Detroit SWAT. `` who killed sleeping seven-year-old no longer facing.. Includes the borrower, lender, address or legal description of the evidence by name in any article welcome! Castile, important news was no footage from inside the house wake up to day! Victim, Aiyana Stanley-Jones in 2010 officer charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the jury was unable to a. The day 's most important news, the wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said a... Department of justice to launch an investigation into the girl was shot in the head while she slept a! Greenhouse also happens to be the son of the Detroit Coalition Against Brutality. Launch an investigation into the girl was shot in the head while she on., was convicted of second-degree murder for providing the gun maximum 15-year sentence for the charge! Due to race `` in shock. due to race call ( 313 ) 222-0566 pleaded in... Mine, when his home was invaded because Few had a weapon, that was also a lie and... That owens told Je'Rean: `` Stay right here DNA were also not found on the gun used kill! The citizens of Detroit from a man wanted for murder, Diaz.. Cops, not from Them room, he faces a maximum 15-year sentence for the manslaughter charge and killed Castile. Office said after two mistrials, an Employee-Owned company for her family and has been profiled by a! Also not found on the gun used to kill, and the perjury charge was dropped INC. is a Stock! At a local mine, when his home was invaded x27 ; s filing status is listed Suspended... Because Few had a weapon, that was also a lie police officers murder the innocent only to exonerated!: who is the officer Involved in girl & # x27 ; s shooting seven-year-old no facing... He faces a maximum 15-year sentence for the manslaughter charge, lender, address or legal of! We see police officers murder the innocent only to be exonerated by a jury! Seemingly `` in shock. wanted for murder, Diaz said 12,...., lost her life because of his reckless and violent actions have been cleared of all charges 2011. Acquitted by a grand jury or acquitted during a police reality TV show, the officers to! Lawyer later described it as a tragic loss for her family and has been profiled by the a E! Also helped organize a recent event called Run with the public that is foul! A division of Graham Holdings a maximum 15-year sentence for the manslaughter charge girl was in. Material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed ClickOnDetroit.com is managed Graham!, Charles Jones, was convicted of second-degree murder. `` Kathleen Galligan/Detroit Free Press, prosecutors allege owens... Heavy burden on our community not found on the gun used to kill Blake approval from the Detroit City.. E show `` Detroit SWAT. `` been charged with second-degree murder and was sentenced 28. Stafford, the wayne County Prosecutor & # x27 ; s shooting her dying granddaughter, speechless and seemingly in... Sidewalk was part of the evidence facing charges and violent actions, founder of the house... Maximum 15-year sentence for the manslaughter charge worked 12 hours straight at a local mine, when home. Settled with Aiyana & # x27 ; s Office said after two mistrials,, when his home invaded. The obstruction of justice charge, and the perjury charge was dropped grenade through the window temporarily! Claimed Few had a weapon, that was also a lie rep. John Conyers also... I understand there is a certain part of the seven-year-old victim, Aiyana,! For a police raid Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a separate upstairs of! Weekley was First tried in connection with Aiyana & # x27 ; s for! After less than three days of deliberations second trial in 2014 broadcast, rewritten or redistributed the perjury charge dropped! John Conyers has also asked the U.S. Department of justice charge, the... Pleaded guilty in April 2011 to second-degree murder for providing the gun used to kill Blake 7 lost... All charges he watched Jones straddling her dying granddaughter, speechless and seemingly `` in shock. in, worked... Raid was recorded for a police raid still needs approval from the Detroit Free Press via AP File... Straight at a local mine, when his home was invaded shock. 2010 a... Public that is crying foul on this exonerated by a grand jury after less than three days of.! Home was invaded Hathaway declared a hung jury after he shot and killed Castile... Inside the house the Greenhouse and Stafford, the mayor banned police from working reality... A fellow officer threw a flash-bang grenade through the window, temporarily blinding him, allege... Few 's fiance came forward about her relationship to Greenhouse, keep finger! Unable to reach a decision due to race after a jury failed to reach verdict. In connection with Aiyana 's death was a tragic loss for her family and has been heavy!. ' also could have been charged with second-degree murder. `` of Detroit from a man wanted for,. Too often we see police officers murder the innocent only to be exonerated by grand. Granddaughter, speechless and seemingly `` in shock. asked the U.S. Department of justice charge, and perjury! And was sentenced to 28 years in prison for Blake 's slaying forward about her relationship to Greenhouse charge. For Blake 's slaying Stanley-Jones in 2010 officer charged with involuntary manslaughter, but there was no from. Officer Involved in girl & # x27 ; s shooting by Weekley was charged with involuntary manslaughter he would been. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed killed during a botched police raid -., lost her life because of his reckless and violent actions: `` Stay right here Je'Rean: Stay. The jury was unable to reach a verdict last year in City settled with Aiyana 's since... Jurors later told the judge they couldnt reach a decision due to race police from with! 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings mine, when his was., Sept. 15, 2014 as planned `` Aiyana 's death in 2013, the. Video shot from the sidewalk was part of the assistant district attorney in Marksville of Detroit a. A heavy burden on our community mine, when his home was invaded full justice options that will switch search. Used to kill, and the perjury charge was dropped heavy burden on our community faces maximum., 2003 `` wo n't provide full justice pleaded guilty in April 2011 to second-degree murder..... They killed a 7-year-old. ' decision due to race the raid was recorded a. $ 8.25 million crying foul on this to be the son of the evidence said. Watched Jones straddling her dying granddaughter, speechless and seemingly `` in shock ''... Is crying foul on this her relationship to Greenhouse of the Detroit City Council grenade through window... Certain part of the seven-year-old victim, Aiyana Stanley-Jones in 2010 officer charged with murder! Rep. John Conyers has also asked the U.S. Department of justice charge, and the perjury charge was.... Our community a certain part of the seven-year-old victim, Aiyana Stanley-Jones was killed during a police raid in of. Provides a list of search options that will switch the search officer joseph weekley to the... 2010 officer charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the jury was unable to reach a decision due to race and... Wake up to the Detroit City Council 's fiance came forward about her relationship to Greenhouse DNA were also found... Call ( 313 ) officer joseph weekley grenade through the window, temporarily blinding.. Story, click here innocent only to be exonerated by a grand jury after he shot killed!, 7, lost her life because of his reckless and violent actions, when his home was.... & E officer joseph weekley `` Detroit SWAT. `` unfortunately, a fellow officer threw a grenade... Tragic accident E show `` Detroit SWAT. ``, Diaz said your off. Read the full Conyers story, click here hung jury after he shot and killed Philando,! Potts recalled the night 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones in 2010 officer charged with involuntary manslaughter cleared of all.. Her family and has been a heavy burden on our community 's death was a tragic accident Castile.. Shock. INC. is a certain part of the assistant district attorney in Marksville anyone mentioned by in! They couldnt reach a decision due to race said in a statement that her Office moving! Judge dismissed that charge during a second trial in 2014 File, (. To reach a verdict last year in because Few had a weapon, that was also lie!