Aiyana Jones Update: Police Vet. Joseph Weekley Named as Girl's Shooter

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Daily Blotter

Aiyana Jones (Personal Photo)

DETROIT (CBS/AP) As the lawyer for Aiyana Jones' family tells Crimesider police are trying to cover up the 7-year-old's killing, Detroit police are now naming the 14-year-veteran who accidentally shot her.

PICTURES: Aiyana Jones, 7, Killed by Cop

Joseph Weekley, a Special Response Team member, is at the center of the storm.

Police spokesman John Roach confirmed Weekley's name Wednesday in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Weekley was part of a police team that raided the Detroit duplex where Jones lived. They were searching for a murder suspect, but had the wrong apartment.

Aiyana was on a downstairs living room sofa sleeping when police lobbed a flash-bang grenade through the window.

Assistant Chief Ralph Godbee said that Weekley's gun discharged after he was jostled by, or collided with, the girl's grandmother inside the house.

The girl's family on Tuesday announced two lawsuits claiming officers violated Aiyana's constitutional rights. The family's lawyer, Geoffrey Fieger, says the child was shot in the neck and within seconds police carried out a little body that "looked like a ragdoll."

Fieger claims he has seen a video of police raiding the house on Sunday morning. He told CBS News' Crimesider, "What I'm most concerned about is that this videotape demonstrates that police are involved in a cover-up of a child's killing."

Weekley is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the May 16 incident. The suspect police were initially looking for, Chauncey Owens, was later apprehended and charged.

MORE ON CRIMESIDER:
May 19, 2010 - Aiyana Jones Police Raid Fallout: Lawyer Says Detroit Cops Are Trying to "Cover-Up" Child's Killing
May 17, 2010 - Aiyana Jones (Update): Police Raid that Killed Child Was "Flawed," Says Lawyer; Filming for TV Got Officers "Excited"
May 17, 2010 - Aiyana Jones, 7-Year-Old Sleeping Beauty, Fatally Shot by Detroit Police During Raid

24 Photos

Aiyana Jones, 7, Killed by Cop

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by dangelique May 31, 2010 4:01 AM EDT: As a native New Yorker who saw the injutice a few years ago in the Sean Bell killing, I am following this tragedy extremely close. My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the Jones family and my prayers also go out to the Weekely family as well. This officer has to live with the fact that in some shape form or fashion, he is responsible for the death of a child. I support law enforcement, but only when it is exacted in a way that doesn't leave it's citizens stripped of justice,their constitutional rights and their life. The country is watching the city of Detroit, Mayor David Bing and the DPD on this.; Reply to this comment


by cantfindusername May 23, 2010 8:01 PM EDT: This could happen to anyone!? The police are trained to deal with exactly these types of situations! You can bet therell be confusion and chaos after lobbing flash grenade through the window of a sleeping family! This is precisely the outcome the police are looking for and they are trained to respond appropriately. More importantly, they didnt even have the RIGHT apartment for goodness sakes!! They are certainly responsible for not properly investigating the situation, identifying the correct abode of the supposed murderer, before running in with guns blazing! And I think the cover up happens AFTER theyve found no other way to resolve a situation, i.e AFTER the little girl was not able to be revived by Emergency Services.
I cant beleive people have the audacity to defend police storming the WRONG home and shooting a sleeping child!; Reply to this comment


by mother061 May 23, 2010 6:41 AM EDT: How can they say cover up????He was seen running out with the little girl.My guess would be TO GET HER HELP!!!!!! How is that a cover up? He isn't saying " I didn't do it" itt was an accident and the gun went off. It could happen to anyopne anywhere. Your woke up in the middleof the night i would assume it would startle and scare the crap out of you and then the confusion from it he was bumped into and the gun went off. I would be mad as hell if it were my child but i also under saqtnd accidents happen.; Reply to this comment


by Re-HorakhtyofSweden May 20, 2010 4:11 PM EDT: Outrageous.....The police officer and his superiors should be prosecuted and receive a severe sentence of death>; Reply to this comment