FORT WORTH, Texas — Five years after the police shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson, Captain Brent Halford is talking about being one of the first officers on the scene.
He's seen a lot in his police career, but he said this time hit differently.
"This was one of the most disturbing scenes I've been to in my career," said Halford, “When I got there, and I saw her she didn’t look like a burglar. The firearm she had looked like a responsible gun owner's firearm.”
On October 12, 2019, Atatiana’s neighbor called 911 for a welfare check about her front door being left open. Atatiana was babysitting her nephew Zion Carr and allowed him to cook burgers. But he burned them, so they decided to air out the house with the front door open as they played video games together.
Then around 2 a.m. Atatiana went to her back window with her firearm when she heard someone outside. That’s when Officer Aaron Dean fired through the window killing her.
Her 8-year-old nephew Zion Carr watched it happen.
“It was obvious that he was a victim here, too," Halford said.
So, once inside the house, Captain Halford focused on helping Zion. He was not dressed and only had on his underclothing. Still, Halford's compassion kicked in.
“I went to put my gym clothes on him, put him in my car, and Officer Ray and I took him back to the police station," Halford said.
As a police community engagement supervisor, Captain Halford interacts with young people regularly. His child is the same age as Zion. After losing a fellow officer in the line of duty, Halford adopted that officer's two children who are now all grown up.
Halford is also active with the Police Athletic League known as the PAL Club at the Fort Worth Police Department. Community engagement officers offer youth-focused programming through the PAL Club.
But year after year Captain Halford has never forgotten about Zion. After the October 2019 shooting, he would sometimes avoid driving past the East Allen Avenue home of Atatiana Jefferson. But eventually, he started growing more and more curious to learn how Zion was doing.
"I've wondered about this kid," said Halford, "I've tried to reach out a few times before."
Especially after seeing Zion relive the shooting during Dean’s murder trial. Halford was listed as a witness too but was not called to testify. He watched from afar as Zion lost his grandfather, his grandmother, and his mother Amber Carr.
Zion shared with WFAA in a recent exclusive interview how he coped with so much grief during that time.
"I felt like I couldn't be happy, but I can," said Zion Carr, "You just have to push, just push through it."
Now, 5 years later, Captain Halford has accepted the invitation from Zion’s family for the two of them to reunite.
They will meet again as Zion and his family celebrate Pull Up for Tay Day on Saturday, October 12. The parade and run honoring Atatiana will march past her life-size mural at Evans and Allen Avenue.
And because of Captain Halford the Fort Worth Police Department will be part of TAY DAY celebrations for the first time since her police shooting death.
Pull Up for Tay events start Friday, October 11 at 1201 East Allen Avenue and parade organizers are still accepting entries by registration online here.
“If he wants to ride the parade float Saturday with us on the parade float, that'd be an honor," said Captain Halford, "It's us healing and moving forward. Things we can't change have happened, and hopefully, we can find some good.”
It will be good not only for the City of Fort Worth according to Halford, but more importantly good for Zion.