Joseph Weekley, a 35-year old police officer, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and careless discharge of a firearm for the shooting of 7-year old Aiyana Jones. The shooting occurred during the filming of “The First 48,” a reality TV show. The state of Michigan announced the charges after concluding their investigation into the shooting, which took place back in 2010. The shooting led to protests in the community, because some have said that officers were overzealous due to the presence of the cameras.
Weekley’s charges carry a maximum of 17 years in prison and resulted from a grand jury indictment. Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee said that he would review Weekley’s status as an on-duty officer. In addition to the charges against Weekly, the Director of Photography, Allison Howard, has been charged with perjury.
The “Special Response Team” had been called in to serve a dangerous warrant after a 17-year old boy was killed. Police broke into Aiyana’s house using “flash bang” grenades, and prosecutors say that Weekley fired off his gun as soon as he entered the house, killing the little girl. Jones was sleeping on the couch and shot in the top of her head. Police then tried to say that Aiyana’s grandmother, Mertila Jones, tried to grab the gun as it discharged, which the family has denied.
Chauncey Owens, a 35-year old friend of Aiyana’s father, was hiding in the upstairs unit of the duplex when police broke in. He has since pleaded guilty to shooting 17-year old Je’rean Blake at a bus stop. Prosecutors argue that Aiyana’s father, Charles Jones, supplied the gun that was used to kill Blake. Jones was charged with first degree murder, perjury and being a felon in possession of a gun.
I covered the shooting of Aiyana Jones last year. The story broke my heart, because most of us shutter at the idea of a child’s innocence being disrupted in such a horrible way. Aiyana was shot in her sleep, and we can only pray that she didn’t suffer as her young life was being taken away. I feel for the little girl who was unknowingly surrounded by aggressive men involved in a dangerous game and even more aggressive police officers trying to be cowboys in front of the camera.
The way the city of Detroit handled this incident was beyond embarrassing. The initial lies told by police officials were only exposed because there happened to be a camera nearby, and the bureaucrats in city hall did an even better job of humiliating themselves by not being sensitive to the concerns of Aiyana’s fellow citizens. There has rarely been a worse black eye for Detroit since the political catastrophe that took place during the tenure of former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Most disappointing was the Detroit Police Department, who should never be allowed to take cameras along during a raid that could easily become a matter of life and death. Also, police are expected to stake out the locations to which they serve warrants to ensure that there are no children inside. For officers to bust through the door firing off bullets and flash grenades in a house where there are toys in the front yard is simply despicable.
Heads should roll for this botched sequence of events. Given the nature of Detroit politics, I expect that Officer Weekley will be the lone scapegoat. But in the death of little 7-year old Aiyana Jones, there is certainly enough blame to go around.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
Unfortunate incident and I truly feel bad for the little girl, but we have to look at the fact that her FATHER who was hiding up stairs while his child is down stairs cause these chain of events. He knew that he was wanted and could have turned himself in to prevent this from reaching his family. Another irresponsible brother and it cost his child’s life…..
No , it’s still the police fault. what is the point to carry around mace or rods/sticks for huh? Also police officers carry now stun-guns too. You don’t always have to use the shoot now and ask questions later model. Police a post to use force as your last option to defend your self. Also reading the story did the police gas the place too after they went in the home, you know by using smoke? Again you don’t have to shoot people. And yes I agree with you brotha the chain of events was the father fault too because he commited a crime but they young girl did not deserve to die like that, she never got the chance to wake up from her sleep.
wait, WHAT!? you wanna blame the “father” for this? com’on clearly the police were overhyped & out of hand, esp. knowing the procedure to NOT enter a home with children, they could have easily waited until he left or until the children went to school
Let’s see where did this all started. First the child living in such a violent household that’s one. And second the family inviting a killer in their household has a lot to say about the parents. So who do you blame in this situation you don’t need a rocket scientist to know that all the Violence brought into your home has a lot to do with the character of the family. Unfortunately innocent children become targets of there parents and adults stupidity and ignorance. .
You have a good point , however you have a killer who just shot someone in your house. The killer did not take his family in consideration of the dangers involved . PS the killer ! Did not use a stun gun, did not use a gas or mace device, he used a lethal and deadly weapon “a gun to kill someone.
Please reread the article. It said the police was originally looking for her father’s friend, as he was the one who killed the 17 yr old (Owens). Jones got charged as an accessory since he let the guy hide upstairs and possession of a gun becuz he was a felon. Jones has blame since he gave the gun to Owens, true, but all in all Owens is at fault for taking a minor’s life that caused the whole chain of events.
I never understand how people always find a way to place blame on someone other than the police. Regardless of the enivironment her parents existed in, no child deserves to die. The police had the control in this situation. They planned and executed a raid that resulted in a child death…bottom line. Would the comments blaming the parent be different if it happen in a different area? Besides we all know that people act differently when being filmed, have to give the audience a reason to watch and sadly Aiyana may have lost her life because of it.
Incredible. Everyone involved is to blame. Initially a 17 year old child was killed by a grown man. Those parents i’m sure are heartbroken. Then this baby is killed because the cowardice perpetrator is hiding inside of her home. The over zealous police are definitely to blame for not following procedure and where is this baby’s mom. She allowed her child to live among this violent atmosphere. As stated earlier, everyone invovled is to blame. For the baby that was murdered by the police, “Thank you JESUS for allowing her peace with you.”
EC— please re-read the story. Your reading comprehension is seriously off and so is your comment.
Thank you Goddess8281 for correcting EC.
Actually the story does say that his FRIEND was hiding upstairs not him!! Yes he perhaps was irresponsible… once he has a child he should be out working a real job not playing with guns!! But lay blame where it should be laid…. firmly at the feet of the officers in the raid!
Neither you nor I know what their situation was!! For all you know the mother could have been innocently out working and earning a living for her child! She could have been in a situation of no available childcare for that day and left her with her paternal grandmother (she was mentioned in the story so I’m working with that!!). Her mother could be DEAD!! You know nothing about it so don’t be so judgemental!!!
I’m am so outraged about this story. First, I’m outraged at the craziness of some of the comments posted. What if it was you, your child, or another family member? I bet your assessment wouldn’t be the same. Like the saying goes, two wrongs do not make a right and police officers are given a lot of power and authority that they should not misuse and pulling their gun should not be the first thing that they do which is most often the case with them in situations involving people of color. Period.
I don’t think excuses should be made for their renegade policing and criminal behavior, as they have rules of engagement that they are suppose to follow but depending on who they are dealing with i.e. white or black determines what rules they follow and which ones they don’t.
Where have you all been? Police get away with killing black people all the time based on absurd reasons. I thought they had gun. They looked like the suspect we were looking for. I felt threatened only to find out the police officer shot the person in the back.
Plus, I don’t care what crime had been committed. Police officers are suppose to apprehend and bring in not KILL and ask questions later. I don’t have any sympathy for them and if they can’t take the heat, get out the kitchen. They do not have to be police officers. They volunteer and I don’t think that they should get any type of special pass or consideration when they do wrong. It was absolutely no reason for them to go into the house and just start shooting. It was absolutely irresponsible and the police officer should go to JAIL for life! I’m sick of the police getting off for killing black people with a tap on the hand.
Secondly, I’m outraged because this is the first that I’ve heard about it and this police has already been indicted by the grand jury which doesn’t even get him suspended from duty without pay. He will probably work up to and through the trail and the police union may even pay for his defense. However, you better bet. If this had been a 7 year old WHITE little girl. It would be all over mainstream media and he would be on his way to the electric chair!
So cameras for shows are questionable. But I am sick of blacks only caring about black children who are being killed every day by blacks and black gang banging only when cops are involved. No outrage and no snitching as children are being killed and wounded in gang battles or caught in the cross fire. Only of value when they can be used as props to attack cops or a white person. Too hell with them if victims of savage no respect for black life blacks. And the bodies continue to litter the streets. Her family was hiding a black man who shot down a black boy who stared him down on his way home from school was why the cops came to the house. Where’s the black outrage about that? None. He’s just black. Too bad. Just makes me sick and want to puke.
You are correct but guess what 99% of the time it happens to African Americans ? Why ! Please do not indicate racism we have a tendency to create the same monsters that we tried to kill.
like always dumb commet,read first! the fsther’s friend was hiding up stairs. we loveto blame anyone but the police.
first of all damm fool this man hiding was not convicted of any thing as of yet.just because the police were looking for him does not mean he is quilty.
you are one person that i would solute. thank you
Hands down — this is why it happened in the first damn place! He put his child in harms way….He didn’t think about her life when he chose to hideout upstairs.
And I too stand corrected
No is to blame for killing this baby but this police officer. he and only he killed this child and he should be locked up for ever!!!!
very good commet
Same ole Detroit politriks. Hopefully 2012 will change things for the better.
That is some MAD MESS right there. Everyone has to be guilty HUH? Hiding in the upstairs apartment? Why couldn’t he just be living in the upstairs apartment and why couldn’t he just have been a neighbor that would have never thought to ask her Father for an Illegal gun? WTH do they get these parasites? The FATHER wasn’t wanted. Some of you commenting have comprehension issues. SMH. HUMANS SUCK.
This is a prime example of why TV reality shows cause damage. The cops were trying to be tough in front of the cameras. In fact, they are cowards of the highest degree. I hope they put this cop in population with all the Big Bubbas in the prison! As for the officials..le them eat cake!
ANY excuse offered fo4 this dastardly act is indicative of ignorance. The Police are the biggest gang in the world..and they deserve to put to death!
Unfortunately, there have been countless instances of this occurring in the past. I’m not sure that we can totally blame the cameras as a contributing factor given the nature of the job. The definitely is a problem when it comes to their lack of “staking out’” the premises, but there was reason to believe they were potentially in harm”s way. There are officers on the force around the country who are just plain nervous, not necessarily trigger happy. Should they be qualified under pressure to carry a gun? Absolutely not! To convict anyone of being trigger happy while attempting to uphold the law is an injustice, despite the loss of this Angel. We need police protection, and it isn’t nor will it ever be perfect, and unfortunately, as long as crime exists and is allowed to accelerate to the degree the courts have allowed, more of this is inevitable.
Should be “because most of us shudder at the idea…” not “because most of us shutter”…
Nobody kills black people like black people. But I bet U don’t care about that. Did U hear about the two black girls shot in the head as they were jumping rope in Chicago last summer? It was black males who shot them. But U don’t give a damn t because as long as it is black people killing black people it is alright.
What happened in Detroit is really a catastrophe and the responsible parties should be brought to justice, my condolence goes out to the family. That being said, I refuse to support cops killing blacks until we as a race speak out against blacks killing blacks, which happens almost everyday. I refuse to speak out against other races call us niggers when we call each other niggers continually.
ITs the police and the fathers fault! the police get away with lies all the time, and the cop needs to be charged, but the family let a wanted felon into their home! the little girl paid for it. thats crap. its the family and the police that need to be charged, period.
ITs the police and the fathers fault! the police get away with lies all the time, and the cop needs to be charged, but the family let a wanted felon into their home! the little girl paid for it. thats crap. its the family and the police that need to be charged, period.
The police officer is about 5 feet tall…You can only guess at how “scared and charged up” he was with TV camera’s rolling..This was VERY POOR judgement on the City’s part to allow this kind of foolishness to be part of a serious police engagement.MAYOR Dave Bing has not opened his MOUTH regarding this issue. Why was this EVER ALLOWED?? POLICE PROCEDURES ARE NOT ENTERTAINMENT!!
AND ANYONE WOULD BE DISORIENTED WITH “FLASH BOMBS AND CAMERAS”!! THERE IS PLENTY OF BLAME TO GO AROUND..ON THE BEHALF OF “FOOLISH CITY OFFICIALS”..LASTLY THE LIE THAT WAS TOLD REGARDING THE GRANDMOTHER TRYING TO TAKE THE GUN FROM THE “SCARED OUT OF HIS MIND” 5FT TALL POLICE OFFFICER IS A BLATANT “LIE” HAD SHE TRIED THIS “SCARED LITTLE MAN” WOULD HAVE EMPTIED HIS GUN ON HER..EVERYONE NEEDS TO COME CLEAN..THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO CONDUCT OFFICIAL BUSINESS. ARRESTING PEOPLE IS NOT “ENTERTAINMENT” AN INNOCENT CHILD IS DEAD ..BECAUSE OF CALLOUS STUPID ADULTS.!!
So because black people kill black people, police are justified in killing black people? A black person who kills WILL definitely go to prison. A police officer who kills, assaults, or otherwise, will most likely not. That is the outrage!
It was not the father that killed the child..The police are trained specialist in situation like these.. doesn’t matter what the situation is.. protocol when entering a home with children or anyone else for that matter is not to go in shooting, but assess the situation first, you secure one area at a time, because there were toys outside and this house had been being watched more caution should have been used.. not go in rambo style..and trigger happy, then you lie about it to cover it up.. blame it on the grandmother … that’s pathetic and if you think that way, i guess if it was a white family making meth .. and police killed a little girl going in that would be ok …wrong is wrong .. and police aren’t God
the police is at fault because they had control of the situation.. no police protocol was followed for entering a residence with children.. the police are perfect and are certainly not God..as most of them have the audacity… to act like they are..point is police did’t follow protocol doesnt matter what event lead up to this.. ultimately the police were in control and they lost it
yes, but they are the police they are different than the common criminal, and their method’s are supposed to make sense.. point is they steaked the place out before doing this.. and none of the protocol was used, for entering a home with children present. they had already smoked the place.. then to try and cover it up by blaming the grandmother….common.. wrong is wrong.. and the police arent God… there is a lot more that goes on, on a steak out that you dont know evidently… there are protocols in place.. doesnt matter what the criminal did when there is innocents in the picture a more careful protocol is put in force..
you didn’t read the story … did you ? it wasnt the perpetraitor’s child
your lost…what world do you live in? you must be a cop or an ex cop .. non of that matters when there is innocents involved .. point it no matter what the situation.. protocol was not followed..the police has the control at that point.. and they did not follow protocol.. they are not God and wrong is wrong…
it’s just so happen that it was caught on camera.. and all the other times this has happened it’s gotten swept under the rug
Agree for all of Dr. Boyce’s commentary regarding little Ayiansa;
I would be remiss to add that this innocent child (and countless other
children) would not be in this vulnerable position if not for the negligent
decisions of their adult caregivers who place them in danger by hiding felons
at large, selling and using drugs, being participants in family violence and
the like. Clean up your act people, your kids lives are at stake.
agreed
of course law enforcement needs to be held responsible for their behavior; but please also acknowledge that adults of the household made decisions that also triggered these tragic events… So sad AND too many children are in this position. You should have to apply for a license to be responsible for children.
of course law enforcement needs to be held responsible for their behavior; but please also acknowledge that adults of the household made decisions that also triggered these tragic events… So sad AND too many children are in this position. You should have to apply for a license to be responsible for children.