A black woman was shot dead by police through her own bedroom window in the early hours of Saturday morning, while performing a welfare check at her residence.
Atatiana Jefferson, 28, had been living at the residence in Fort Worth, Texas with her eight-year-old nephew.
A neighbour had called a non-emergency police number after growing concerned that her front door was open at night.
Police have released body cam footage of the incident, which shows an officer shooting within seconds of seeing her.
The clip shows police searching the perimeter of the residential property, before noticing a figure at the window. After demanding the person put their hands up, an officer then fired a shot through the glass.
“Perceiving a threat the officer drew his duty weapon and fired one shot striking the person inside the residence,” police said.
Ms.Jefferson was shot while standing in a bedroom. After firing, officers entered the home and began providing emergency aid, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The officer who shot Jefferson was not named by the police statement. The agency did say that he is a “white male who has been with the department since April of 2018.”
He has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, officials added.
The event sparked outrage and calls for police accountability in a community whose trust in law enforcement has already been shaken by other police shootings and the death of Botham Jean in nearby Dallas.
