A&E Sued over Filmed Police Killing of 7-Year-Old

Friday, December 17, 2010
Aiyana Stanley-Jones
The relatives of a 7-year-old girl shot dead in May by Detroit police are suing the A&E Television Network, claiming its involvement in the raid on the family’s home played a part in the girl’s death.
 
Aiyana Stanley-Jones was shot once through the head after police mistakenly stormed her home searching for a shooting suspect who lived in the other unit of a duplex. The girl was asleep on the family couch when police tossed flash-bang grenade through a window. A Detroit police officer, Joseph Weekley, then fired the shot that killed Aiyana.
 
An A&E film crew tagged along on the raid for the show, “The First 48.” In its lawsuit, the family argues that the network’s show encouraged police to create “great video footage,” thus leading to the “commando-style raid” that resulted in Aiyana Stanley-Jones’ death.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
 
A&E Gets 'Great Video Footage' As Cops Kill Girl, Family Says (by Bridget Freeland, Courthouse News Service)
The Death of Aiyana Stanley-Jones (by Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

Comments

david 13 years ago
No argument here. I assume they were unsuccessful filing a lawsuit against the police thugs. I wish your article was more fleshed out with details and information. It is only right that sensationalizing police activity of this sort should be called to account. What a disgrace. What a tragedy. The most troubling thing about this is that you do not mention any soul-searching or policy review by the police that may have resulted in positive changes in the way situations like this are handled. By the way, the very least that should have happened was that the murderer/officer should be prosecuted for being so trigger happy that he shot a seven year old girl. What happened?

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