The father of a black woman fatally shot in her home by a white cop in Fort Worth, Texas, has died after suffering a heart attack, according to reports.
The officer was charged with murder in the Oct. 12 shooting death of 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson -- a case that has drawn national attention.
A family spokesman said her father, Marquis Jefferson, died Saturday at a Dallas hospital, Fox 4 Dallas reported. He had been hospitalized the night before.
The Dallas Morning News reported that Jefferson was 58 and that the cause of death was a heart attack.
ATATIANA JEFFERSON, TEXAS POLICE SHOOTING VICTIM, HAD BEEN ASSUMING ROLE OF FAMILY MATRIARCH
Marquis Jefferson, 58, and his daughter Atatiana Jefferson, 28. (Fox 4 Dallas/The Associated Press)
The spokesman, Bruce Carter, said Jefferson had been under a lot of stress since his daughter was killed, Fox 4 reported. Carter said Jefferson was battling Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which makes breathing difficult.
The Associated Press reported that a local TV station quoted Carter as saying Jefferson “just couldn’t get back from what happened with his daughter.”
The officer who was charged, Aaron Dean, resigned from the force after his arrest.
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After his daughter’s death, Marquis Jefferson objected to the way the funeral was being handled by his daughter’s aunt and obtained a court order that postponed the funeral until a deal was struck, according to the AP and local media.
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